


Be Careful Who You Root For

by IRGayShark



Category: BLACKPINK (Band), Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-16 22:46:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 25
Words: 39,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29461482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IRGayShark/pseuds/IRGayShark
Summary: There's zero good people in this universe. If you squint hard enough you will find some good traits. But no good person.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 11





	1. FOREWORD

"Three dead bodies in one day, Seungwan. Three. Exactly how the fuck am I supposed to relax at this situation?" Seulgi complains.

"There's a defense attorney hanging out in her office because her boyfriend ditched their lunch date. Try her." Seungwan replies. Not looking up from the body she's dissecting. 

"It's not Thursday yet."

"Does it have to be on a Thursday?"

"It's tradition."

"She has a boyfriend." Yerim comments from her perch on top of a vacant autopsy table.

"Who gives a fuck?" Seulgi replies.

Sooyoung enters the room. Carrying a tray with a bunch of instruments. "You and the Bae both do apparently." She snickers out as a joke. 

They all chuckle. 

Yerim checks her phone. Sighs and wipes her face with her hand. "They found a fourth body. Anyone need a ride to location? My creepy white van longs for passengers."

"Jesus Christ." Seulgi says.

Seungwan shrugs. "If it's from the same suspect..then this person is probably the most random serial killer in the planet."


	2. THE QUIET ONE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buckle up, guys. It's going to be a doozy.

Chanyeol was a good guy.

He treated her well. As well as any 'good' boyfriend would.

But Rosie thinks he talks too much. Thinks he's way too happy. Thinks he's too optimistic about stupid things she could care less about like the future, plans about having a happy family, and other shit considering they've been together two years in the coming weekend.

It annoys her.

They're out for a walk on their way home. One of those nights where it's a little past midnight, they just came from a late dinner, and Rosie just wants to savor the cool pre-dawn air in peace. Instead of listening to her 'boyfriend' ramble on and on about the snowboarding trip they took the other week. (he hasn't moved on. Rosie had.)

"Yeol. Please. I just want to walk home quietly yeah?" Rosie tries to tell him.

"Oh but you haven't heard about my plans on how I can teach you to be better at the board when we go back!" Chanyeol protests. "It'll be great, Rosie! We'll be badasses just SHREDDING those slopes , trust me!"

Rosie's fists clench in the pockets of her favorite black hoodie. "Hmm." Is all she says. Taking a deep breath to try and repel the budding annoyance. (He really was a great guy. If he wasn't, she wouldn't have fallen in love with him because of all the things that now annoy her to no end.)

They come to the entrance of the park they always cut through as a shortcut. Chanyeol (like the gentleman he really was) pushes the gate open JUST enough for Rosie to be able to squeeze through before he follows her in.

They continue walking. He's still talking. Something about a baseball game he wants to see live and is planning to bring Rosie along with.

Rosie just nods at every other word to make it seem like she's listening (she really isn't). Throws in a "hmm" every other two sentences so the feigned attention is more convincing.

He doesn't notice. He never does notice her whenever he gets into his tangents.

Rosie blinks to stave off another wave of anger from that realization.

She doesn't know why she's like this. So she keeps mum.

There is a path lined with trees and a few cacti planted and forgotten by the previous mayor who had a weird thing about deserts once. They trudge along it.

Rosie is lagging slightly behind. A move she considers smart if it's the only way she won't hear the full volume of his voice.

She zones out. Thinks about her childhood, thinks about work, thinks about how she can't hear the sound of crunching leaves and the gravel under her feet because her boyfriend just would not stop talking.

She bends down to pick up a cactus spine. Observes it in her palm for a couple of seconds and pockets it after a shrug. It's the longest she's seen at nearly ten inches long. She laughs to herself thinking about how it could even be longer than the dick of the guy she's with right now.

Chanyeol is still talking.

After about another ten minutes (really, Rosie does not know time anymore. Chanyeol can talk about the history of the Universe and then some within five minutes the way he goes.) they reach the edge of the park.

Chanyeol lifts part of the fence that separates the actual park from the small forest surrounding it. Repeats what he did with the gate previously which is to let Rosie through first before following.

They're walking side by side again now. Rosie thinks he switched topics since he's now talking about getting a pet fish instead of a dog.

"They could be our practice for kids right?" Chanyeol says. With a tap to Rosie's shoulder who startles a little bit but recovers enough for him to not notice (he NEVER fucking notices).

"Huh?" She asks. Wasn't lying when she thought of how zoned out of him she was that huh is the only thing she could have possibly answered to his question.

"Kids. I was thinking maybe we can have two..or three. Depending on how cute we find our genes messed around together." He jokes.

Rosie blinks. Repeats the "huh?"

Chanyeol laughs and starts walking ahead again. Still. Talking. "I was thinking we can get some fish first as practice. So it's a little unconventional right? Most people get dogs. But we go for the low maintenance types since we're also low maintenance types."

Rosie zones out again. Thinks about a warm bed and a mug of hot coffee. How she's so close to that already. Pictures the quiet she gets after Chanyeol falls asleep next to her in the bed they've shared since they moved in together a year into their relationship.

Chanyeol is still talking. Four steps ahead of Rosie and gesturing excitedly with his hands. "We can even get those little succulent cactuses!" He says. "Turn our apartment into a little oasis."

Rosie remembers the cactus spine she picked up earlier. Takes it out of her pocket and idly spins it around in her dominant left hand. "Hmm."

"Are you feeling okay?" Chanyeol asks her without looking back. "You've been quiet all day."

"That's because you like it when you're the only one talking." Rosie whisper answers.

Chanyeol laughs to himself. Still not looking back. "Why am I even surprised? You've always been waaaaaay too quiet." He says. While kicking away a stone that clatters loudly along the path like a gunshot right next to Rosie's ears. "Anyway, there's a thing I want to run with you later when we get home. We can talk about it over coffee and some donuts, hey! We should go back and get donuts from the bakery dow--chkkk!"

Chanyeol was a good guy.

He treated her well. As well as any 'good' boyfriend would.

But Rosie thinks he talks too much. Thinks he's way too happy. Thinks he's too optimistic about stupid things she could care less about like snowboarding trips, pet fishes as practice for two or three children, and their apartment becoming an oasis.

It annoys her. So she stabs him.

From behind. Right at the throat with the cactus spine she was holding.

He turns around with a hand to his throat. Looks at her with panicked eyes. "Hckkkkk." He says.

Rosie tilts her head and stares at him. Wonders how neat it was that everytime she does something cool no one is there to see it happen.

Chanyeol reaches out to her. Panicked eyes slowly switching into confusion when he sees Rosie making no moves to help him.

"R--hhhkkk." He tries to say. Choking on air he's not getting.

"Still. Talking." Rosie whispers.

Chanyeol falls to his knees. Slowly becoming blue in the face. He tries to grab at Rosie's legs and she just steps aside. A little out of his reach and keeps watching.

He claws at the cactus spine lodged in his throat. Rosie thinks about how hard she must have pushed considering it was a through and through.

"Don't pull it out, Yeol." She whispers. "You'll bleed."

"Help..me.." He whispers back. Eyes cloudy, on the verge of unconsciousness.

"Shh, baby..listen. It's quiet." Rosie answers.

Chanyeol stops clawing. He falls forward. Face-first on the dirt.

Rosie listens to the slowly fading noises of his choking. Observes until he's unmoving in the spot where he fell.

"It's quiet." Rosie repeats.

Chanyeol was a good guy.

He treated her well. As well as any 'good' boyfriend would.

But Rosie thinks he talks too much.

Chanyeol was her first. On so many things. Including this.


	3. DALGOM

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To those who came from the other stories: Are we still okay? Should I keep this going?

Jisoo had a dog once. His name was Dalgom and she loved him like he was her own son.

She got him from a shelter she passed by once when she was on a very dark time in her life. Fresh out of college and zero job prospects with a useless (her dad says) degree on English Literature. Desperate, she resorted to running errands delivering 'packages' throughout town for wealthy people who have nothing else to do with their money except for wasting it on the 'packages' they can open and snort.

He was staring at her through the bars of the cage he was in. The only one looking among all the other dogs he was with when she stopped in front of the window to light a cigarette.

She made three puffs before she noticed him. He tilts his head to the side in a perfect mirror of how Jisoo did hers.

He went home with her that evening. She named him Dalgom because he was the sweet to all the bitterness in her life when she got him.

Dalgom lived happily. She tried to spoil him as best as she could. More so when she found a steady job tending to a bookshop that was two blocks away from her apartment. She takes Dalgom with her to work sometimes. Marveled at how nice it was that her boss (a little old lady that reminds Jisoo so much of her grandmother, god bless her soul.) lets her do it.

"Dalgom..died in a cage." Jisoo whispers. "Did you know that?" She asks the person she's with.

They frantically shake their head. Cuts off a scream when Jisoo kicks the bars of the cage they were in.

"Yeah. He did." Jisoo continues. "My apartment was broken into one night. Whoever did it took nothing of note because there was nothing of note in there. The only problem..was it was the one time I had to leave Dalgommie at home."

The man in the cage shakes his head even more. Jisoo just smirks at him. "I get home and imagine my surprise when I find out my dog..is not there."

The man tries to scream again. Muffled because of the wad of cloth that was stuffed into his mouth.

Jisoo shakes her head. "I looked everywhere. No one saw anything. The neighbors kept mum. Didn't even open their doors when I knocked to check with them. I suppose that's understandable. It was really a rundown place" She says. "Still fucked up though. Right?" She asks the guy who just stares with the kind of look that Jisoo sees from people everytime she does this. That pleading look. The same begging eyes that she stopped paying attention to after the second time she saw it. "Ah!" She says cartoon like. Smiles at the man. "I eventually found out who took him though. Turns out it was the guy who lived about five doors away."

"Mrrrrrppphphh!" The man says.

"Shh bro!" Jisoo admonishes. "I'm talking." She walks to a nearby table and hovers her hand over the several options she has. Breathes in and out. "I heard my dog bark from inside his apartment when I passed by." Jisoo explains. She picks up a bowie knife. Stares at the handle and puts it back down on the table. "Could have been any other dog..but I know how my boy sounds." She looks up and stares at the picture of her dog that she keeps hanging on the wall above the table. "After that, I had to find a way to get in and get him back amirite?"

The guy in the cage started crying. Ugly. Snot dripping from his nose and dribbling on the cloth that was hanging out of his mouth. No way to wipe himself when he has both hands tied to the chair he's sitting on.

Jisoo makes a choice from the selections laid out on the table. "Took me a week but I managed to befriend him enough to score an invitation to come inside." She pockets the gun she picked up. Breathes in and out again. "You know what I saw?" Jisoo asks.

She walks over to the guy and removes the gag from their mouth. They start sputtering. Spit and tears flying everywhere the way hysterical crying makes it do.

Jisoo backhands him. His neck snaps to the side accompanied by a whimper that turned into more sobbing when Jisoo pressed the barrel of the gun she's holding to one of his kneecaps.

"Please!" The man yells. "Why are you doing this?" He chokes out.

Jisoo nods. "I was telling you why." She answers. Taps the guy twice on each cheek with a smile and stuffs the gag right back into his mouth.

She brings up the gun and taps it idly along her hand. Continues her story. "I saw Dalgom in a small cage at the corner of the laundry room. Guy must have tried to hide him..I don't know. But he left the door open just a smidge for me to peek through."

She walks around in circles over the guy tied up to the chair in the center of the cage. Reminds him of her gun every once in a while by tapping him in the head with it. "One look and I knew Dalgommie was a goner. Poor boy was stick thin and just cowering"

She breathes again. Closes her eyes and drowns in the memory of that night.

"I asked him about the dog. Made it look like I was just curious and I didn't know who it's owner was." Jisoo shook her head. "Man just laughed and said it followed him home from somewhere. Something about how he didn't know what to do with it so he just left him in a cage."

She takes off the gag from the man's mouth again. Stares him right in his pathetic pleading eyes. "What I don't understand.." She whispered. Just enough for it to be loud that he can hear. "Is how some people can do shit like that to dogs..or any animal for that matter."

The man sobs. Realization dawning on his face.

"I don't remember what happened next to be honest. I guess I blacked out." Jisoo said. Straightening up and shaking her head. "Next thing I knew I was already cradling Dalgom and the poor thing was dying in my arms."

"Please..I..I don't know..what's going on." The man said.

Jisoo smirks again. "Bullshit you don't know." She answered. "You know why you're here. How's the dog you tied up with no food and water outside your house for a week?"

"The dog was a stray who wouldn't leave me alone!" The man tried to reason. "Shits in my lawn!"

Jisoo laughs. Eerie. Odd even to her. It echoed around the room they were in and then Jisoo snarls. Presses the gun back to the guy's kneecaps who whimpered and tried to cower away from her despite having nowhere else to go.

"Fucking hell." She says. "There's shelters every five feet in this fucking town and you can't be bothered to surrender him?"

The man sobs again. Dribbles of drool trickling down his chin, evidence of fear slowly leaving a puddle in the floor underneath his chair.

Jisoo steps away. Stares at the floor. "Did you just piss yourself?" She asks with a laugh. "Fucking..what?"

"I.." The man stutters. "I'm sorry okay?!" He screams.

"I have a question."

"I'll answer anything!"

Jisoo pretends to think. "What. Happened. To that dog?" She asks after some time just listening to the man's scared sobbing.

He looks up. "I.."

"Bro..don't even think about lying." Jisoo warns.

"It died." He whispered. "Two days ago! I buried it in the neighbor's backyard!"

Jisoo nods. Pockets the gun again. "Thanks for being honest."

"I'll be better!" The man begs. "Just let me go please." Sobs like a little boy lost and looking for his mother. "I won't tell the police! 'll even donate and shit to animal rights and all that crap!"

"Too late for that."

"I didn't know it would die that easily!"

"Wrong answer but I'll take it." Jisoo unties the man. "You know why I took Dalgom in? I took him in coz he, like all the others with him, did not deserve spending their time without anyone to love them." She explained. "Also because the lady who was at the counter told me that him and his siblings were born in a cage and shit with an owner who didn't even feed them more than once a week. Boy was the runt. Only thing keeping me from going nuts too."

The man shakes his head. Looks in wonder at his freed hands and feet.

"Thanks for not lying." Jisoo said to him.

"I..can go?" He asked.

Jisoo shrugs. "Door's right there." She motions to the only entrance and exit from the cage.

The man shakily stands up. Walks on wobbly legs to the door.

Jisoo blinks. "Thanks for not lying." She repeats.

The man turns around.

Jisoo shoots him in the kneecaps. Chuckles at his shocked scream that turned into howls of pain.

"I hope you understand that the honesty policy doesn't apply to me." Jisoo says.

Several hours later, Jisoo thinks about how this guy is her fifth. Thinks about whether her Dalgom would care about what she's been up to since he died.

She shrugs. Dog probably won't. So she continues bagging up the 'trash' for proper disposal.


	4. THE DUMPLING

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The foreword's slowly starting to make sense huh?

Jennie was not from anywhere fucked up.

She was raised in old money. Piano lessons from childhood, top notch home schooling, a driver at her beck and call, and everything she wanted at the snap of a finger. 

Except for parents. Hers died when she was young. She remembers coming home from pre-school and being told that she will live with her father's parents from then on. 

Her father's parents who both also passed unexpectedly when she was 16. Her father's parents who left the entire estate to her as evidenced by the wills a lawyer read to her shortly after the funerals. When the entire staff including her nanny, the homeschool teacher, and her driver had all ditched when they realized there's no one adult who can pay their wages.

There's not much to do all alone in a big house. She's already read through most of the books in the library, gone through all the rooms and such when she was a teenager. So when she 'grew up' she never comes home. Prefers spending the night in different hotel suites with different people.

Only comes 'home' on special nights like the one she is currently in. 

"This pasta is delicious." The man she was with says. 

"Thanks." She curtly replies. "I got the recipe from my grandma."

"Your grandma must have been amazing."

"Sure. She was."

The guy continues eating. Jennie sips some of the wine she has in a glass. Clears her throat and asks a question. "What was your name again?"

He blinks. Smiles at her (not bad, Jennie thinks) and answers the question. "Name's Jongin. But you can call me Kai. Better be careful yeah? Might think you only brought me to this big ass house for the sex."

Jennie shrugs. "Is that a bad thing?" Sips more of the wine. 

"Not really. I can go with that. If this a one night stand I might as well roll with it so I can at least say I managed to do it in a fucking castle."

"Hmm."

Kai continues eating. Jennie just observes him. Smiles quietly to herself when he picks up his wine glass and drinks everything in one go. 

He burps. Snickers to himself at the faux pas and looks at Jennie with a sleazy grin. "Thanks for the sustenance." He said. "I don't know about you though..but..I..kind of want.." He blinks several times. Seemingly fighting off some exhaustion. "Want a lie in." He pushes through. The grin on his face slowly slipping off. "If you know what I mean." Attempts a wink that fails miserably with the way his eyelids are slowly drooping.

Jennie finishes her wine. Makes a mental note that the particular pills combination works faster than she expected. She puts down the glass she's holding and walks to Jongin. Taps him on the forehead twice and holds his hand to help him up off his chair. "I know what you mean." She teases. 

Kai attempts a tap to her ass. He never manages. Jennie lets go of his hand and watched him drop to the floor. 

He wakes up naked on his back and with all his limbs tied up on a table. Looks around and notices a few contraptions on the walls. Tools and some gnarly looking 'weapons.' 

Perched on a chair in front of where he's lying down was Jennie. Calmly sipping from another wine glass and staring at him. 

He pumps his eyebrows up and down. Tugs a little at the restraints in his hands. "Didn't know you were into this kind of stuff, doll." He husks. 

Jennie chuckles. "You don't know a lot about me."

"I'd love to get to know then."

"We'll see how long that sentiment lasts."

Kai watches Jennie walk to a table. Still holding her half-filled wine glass with her left hand and slowly brushing her right hand over what's on top of the table (he can't see) she is standing over. 

"You gonna whip me, babydoll?" He jokes. "I'm all for it."

"Hmm." Jennie replies. "I don't feel like a whip tonight."

He feels himself get hard. Looks down and confirms it. Grins to himself. 

Jennie's hand stops at something and then it was her turn to grin. 

Kai thinks she looks like a dumpling. Cute. He can brag to his friends tomorrow about how he got dominated by one. 

"I feel like a scalpel." Jennie says. Finally putting down her wine glass and faces him. 

"Huh?" Kai says. Confused. 

Jennie shows off her right hand. Where she is indeed holding a scalpel. Extremely sharp by the looks of it. Kai sees the glint of the blade reflecting off the intimate lighting. 

"Uhh.." He says. "I..don't think this is an idea I can get behind?" 

Jennie steps closer to him. Pecks him once in the lips. Twice. Until they're just making out and he feels himself slowly get harder and harder to the point that it's a bit painful already. 

They separate for air. And then he feels the first cut. A sharp, stinging pain going from one side of his left thigh all the way across. He yelps. Pulls on his bound hands in an effort to touch the offended area. 

"Holy shit!" He screams. Looks down at his leg that was, sure enough, slowly seeping blood out of a gash that doesn't look deep enough but stings like a bitch. "What the fuck, lady?! Ohmygod!"

"Shh, Kai. Relax will you?" Jennie says. Voice oh so sickeningly sweet. Accompanied by a wide smile. "You'll feel the pleasure in a bit."

"I.." He stammers. "I would like to go please." 

Jennie shakes her head. Glowers. "I don't get it." She says. "You guys are always all over me everytime I run into you in bars and shit. Promising me a good time and all that and then when I agree and we're at that situation, you flake out." Picks up her wine glass again and drinks. 

"Uhmm..this isn't really my thing. I can..uhh..I can still go though?" Kai offers. "Just.." He clears his throat. "Maybe untie me?"

"No." Jennie replies. "I'm not gonna untie you."

"My leg hurts." 

Jennie cuts him again. On the right thigh this time. A mirror of what's going on the other side. He screams in pain. Mind no longer clouded with alcohol and lust. "JESUS CHRIST, WOMAN!"

The frown on Jennie's face intensifies. Kai's boner disappears. 

"I just want..one someone who would not complain and would let me do whatever." Jennie states.

"I can do that." Kai squeaks out in another effort to get himself out of that situation. "If you'd just untie me I promise I'd stay still."

He watches her finish off the alcohol. Senses on high alert. He tries to tug at his restraints again. Feels frustration build when he realizes there's no way to free himself unless he persuades the woman in front of him to do it herself. 

Jennie smiles again after nodding to herself several times. "Fine." She says. "I can free you."

He sighs in relief. "Thanks, babygirl. That'll do."

"I have time for the next couple of days."

"Do you now?" He flirts back. Anything to outsmart the clearly psychotic lady he's talking to. He plans to book it out of there the second he's free. Nevermind his wounded legs, the adrenaline will most likely help him power through it. "Maybe we can arrange another meet up?"

"I can clean up after myself." Jennie continues.

"What?" 

Jennie picks up the scalpel again. Cuts deep across both of Kai's Achilles tendons, effectively severing them both and laughs at his scream. 

"I hope you understand." Jennie asks. "I can't have you running away now right?"

"Ohmygod." Kai says. "Ohmygod I want my mommy..holyshit ohmygod." Tears already rushing out his eyes in uncontrollable streams, involuntary sobs coming from his throat. The pain is too unbearable he ends up closing his eyes.

Feels Jennie walk to each of the bindings on both his hands and unlock them. Feels the almost gentle caress of her hands on his. 

"There. You're untied now." He hears Jennie say. "Please don't leave me okay?"

"Ohmygod.." He whispers. 

Jennie taps him on the forehead again. He can't help but open his eyes to look. 

She's smiling again while she lifts up the scalpel she's holding and trails a cut from his sternum all the way to his belly button.

He doesn't think he can go and brag to his friends about the dumpling anymore.

Jennie was not from anywhere fucked up. 

She's just been alone for too long so she looks for more permanent company sometimes. 


	5. THE CHEF

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not going to go how you think it will go.

Lisa had always loved cooking. It's something she'd been passionate about since she was young. 

It's the type of thing you inevitably end up feeling if your parents are both chefs the way hers were.

When dancing stopped being an option she turned to cooking.

She slices part of the meat she's preparing for a stew. Smiles at the girl sitting in her dining table and watching her with a small smile.

"This was my mother's specialty." Lisa explains. "I just made some changes to it."

The girl nods. "Is it? I can't wait to taste it."

"Mhmm." Lisa stirs a couple of laurel leaves in the stew. Lifts up the ladle for a quick taste and nods to herself in satisfaction.

She turns to the couple of steaks she has in the oven. Looks through the door to see if they are doing well and decides to flip them a little bit.

"Holy shit!" The girl screams. "Isn't that hot?!"

Lisa blinks and stares at her hand inside the oven that is reaching out to the steaks. "Uhh.." She says.

"At least use some tongs!"

Lisa ends up shrugging. Flips the steaks with her bare hand anyways. "I'm used to it." She says.

The girl just stares.

Lisa walks closer to her. Smiles brightly. "Don't worry okay? I'm alright."

"If you say so." The girl replies.

Lisa just nods and starts to set the table. Occasionally making flourishes to her movements just to make the girl laugh.

Eventually, all the dishes are piled into the table. Lisa sits in front of the girl and gestures for her to start eating which she gladly does. Watches her take a bite of the steak and hum appreciatively.

"Good?" Lisa asks. Hopeful.

The girl smiles and nods rapidly. "Yes. Amazing even. Where'd you learn to cook like this?"

Lisa shrugs. "Parents are chefs." She explains. "I pretty much grew up in the kitchen."

"Nice. My parents are average cooks." The girl jokes. Blinks a little bit at what she noticed. "You're not eating."

Lisa shrugs and throws out a peace sign to the girl. "I don't eat the stuff I cook." She said. "Uhh..it's a thing. You know how you spent so much time on it that after cooking it's just meh? That kind of thing sooo..I can't eat what I cook."

"Well..that's sad." The girl says with a frown.

"Meh. It is what it is." Lisa replies.

They make small talk for the next few minutes while the girl eats and Lisa just watches with a smile. Glad that the guest likes the food she prepared.

"You sure you don't want to eat anything?" The girl asks.

Lisa takes the opportunity to take her hand. Rubs small circles on the back of it. "I'm sure."

"Okay..thanks for inviting me over, by the way."

"No problem." Lisa replies with a wink.

The girl eventually finishes eating and Lisa kindly shoos her away to volunteer washing the dishes. "It helps me think." Is all she says as a reason when asked.

So now here she is. Scrubbing a plate and thinking about the next move.

She quietly plans the next time she will make a feast like the one she made tonight. Shakes her head. Will the ingredients be enough? She may have to go the market for vegetables.

She looks over to the girl who is quietly sitting down at her sofa and looking around the living room with interest.

Lisa sighs. She loves cooking. She really does. What she doesn't like is the prep that is required. Too much work involved. Another thing to consider is how she was taught that when cooking, the meat has to always be fresh. The troubles she had to go through just to make sure she followed that rule to a T is incredible.

But no matter. She's gotten used to it. Really, she loves cooking. She's willing to make sacrifices.

Sometimes she wishes she can eat what she cooks instead of surviving on takeout. But she knows she can't. After all, it would be all kinds of wrong if she does.

She shakes off her wet hands over the sink. Picks up the towel hanging from the oven door and wipes with it.

She takes two deep breaths and, not for the first time, wishes she can still do that dance she used to do as a way for self motivation. "Okay." She whispers. "Cooking is something you're good at. Why doubt yourself?" She continues to herself.

She opens the cabinet under the sink and takes out a wrench. Weighs it in her hand and decides it's too much for what she has in mind. Looks at the selection of knives in one corner of the kitchen counter and thinks she does not have the time to clean up.

She looks down at her hands that are still holding the towel she wiped with. "Looks like this'll have to do." She says.

"Are you washing a whole restaurant in there?" The girl jokes from the living room.

Lisa closes her eyes and shakes her shoulders. Rolls her neck a couple of times. Only answers the girl's joke when she opened her eyes (she swears she can feel her pupils dilate in excitement everytime this happens.) "I'm almost done." She says. Voice gravelly. Laced with grit.

Her blood is pumping by the time she starts walking to the living room.

She does the usual count in her head. Like she's just rehearsing for another well choreographed routine.

5 - She presses play on the iPod that's chilling in it's speaker dock on top of the kitchen counter. Smiles as the first notes Ddu-du-ddu-du starts playing.

6 - She rolls both ends of the towel she's holding in her hands. Pulls it taut in the middle.

7 - She looks around the living room and makes a mental note of everything that she has to put in their right places after the inevitable happens. Takes a deep breath.

8 - She goes for it.

The girl startles. Kicks both legs forward and attempts to grab at the towel that Lisa has effectively used to garrote her with.

Lisa plants both her feet in the ground. Grits her teeth and just pulls as hard as she can. The girl thrashes wildly. Lisa lowers herself. Almost dragging the choking girl over the back of the sofa with how hard she's pulling.

She feels several scratches on her hands. Tsks to herself knowing she has to be extra sterile in the kitchen this time.

It takes a few minutes. The girl slowly losing the energy to fight back and eventually going limp. Half over the back of the sofa, legs sprawled on the actual thing.

Lisa unravels the towel from the girl's neck. Arranges her to lie down properly on the sofa and goes back to the kitchen.

She moves the refrigerator away to reveal a door behind it. Dusts off her hands and goes back to the girl who she lifts up and carries through the door she just opened.

Right into a better (in her opinion) more grand 'kitchen.' She lays the girl down on a big metal table. Breathes through her nose.

Lisa had always loved cooking. It's something she'd been passionate about since she was young. 

It's the type of thing you inevitably end up feeling if your parents are both chefs the way hers were.

When dancing stopped being an option she turned to cooking.

The only problem she has with this is that she can't eat what she cooks. Because it's all kinds of wrong if she does.

So she gives it to the neighbors. They love her for it. They call her The Chef.


	6. THE DETECTIVE AND THE DEFENSE ATTORNEY

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If GP is not your cup of tea, then this is where you should stop reading. 
> 
> With that said, it's not a major plot point. Just heavily implied.

"I wonder how the other D.As would think if they find out you enjoy taking a cock like this." Seulgi says. "Getting..dominated..and just..all bent over for me. Thanks for the view."

"Stop trying to talk." Irene replies. "Just..finish me off."

They both groan after a particularly delicious thrust.

Seulgi huffs. Continues what she's doing. Revels in the tight warmth she's currently buried in. "Did you think I was going to pass on a chance to annoy you?" 

Irene fists the pillow to the left of her face. Suppresses a moan. "Fuck. You." She spits out. Matches each and every one of Seulgi's thrusts with one of her own that's equally as rough.

Seulgi chuckles. Shoves her harder into the bed and stops thrusting. Slaps her ass twice. "You already are. Was that supposed to be an insult?"

"I swear to fucking GOD!" Irene complains. 

"Mhmm." Seulgi says.

They get back into it. Both long since unsure why they're still doing these 'weekly sessions' where they get piss drunk and fuck at a room in the sleazy motel situated (in distance) exactly between both of their apartments.

When in fact, they truly do hate each other. Only met when they were both rookies at their chosen fields. At a party, five years ago, hosted by the then chief of police who was Seulgi's father. 

There was a misunderstanding over something they both don't even remember anymore and since then they've either avoided each other or made sure to get in each other's nerves in unavoidable circumstances. 

More so on the unavoidable circumstances part. Since Irene is a criminal D.A who had just been newly assigned to help out at the station Seulgi works at as a detective, they end up constantly running into each other.

Things came to a head after a nasty fight at (another) party hosted by their coroner (also the station's resident Forensic Pathologist) friend, Seungwan.

There was alcohol involved so the insults were extra vicious. There was shoving involved as well. Things got very heated.

Seulgi was wearing the standard white dress pants and a blazer. Irene was wearing a black dress that her sister (fucking Yerim) said fit her snugly in the right places. 

When asked by friends, they both maintain that the only reason they fell into bed that night (and every Thursday night in the subsequent weeks) was that there was alcohol involved.

Seulgi's real reason is that despite the constant annoyance regarding the D.A's holier than thou attitude, she can't deny the lady is hot. And OOF. That dress. Sue her for getting hard.

Irene's real reason is that the detective is a piece of shit. But that dick print did things to her. She has needs and god will she murder anyone if they find out that the detective is actually doing a FANTASTIC job at taking care of those needs.

There was a series of taps at Irene's lower back. She turns around to look at the offender who's looking right at her eyes when she did.

"Don't hold back now." Seulgi challenges.

"Fuck off, Kang." Irene replies.

Seulgi starts to pound into her. Grinds on every other thrust, hits deep and hard. Irene smashes her face into the pillow to restrain herself from screaming her pleasure into the dark room.

"I want to hear you." Says the person fucking her into next week. Rough. Voice betraying the strain of exactly how hard they're making sure Irene won't be able to walk after this round.

She doesn't dignify it with a response. Clenches instead on the cock hitting her in all the right places.

There was a gasp from behind her. She smirks to herself.

"Fuck..Irene." Said like a plea. "Don't make me blow my load."

"Isn't that the whole point?" Irene asks in wonder.

"Not yet." Seulgi replies. Continues working. "I want to hear you."

"What's with the sudden interest?"

Seulgi shrugs. "Too quiet in here."

"Hmm."

"It's like having sex with a blow up doll. If I wanted to do that, there's plenty of those online. Not like I can't afford one plus shipping."

The observation triggers something in Irene. The kind of competitive rage she gets when someone implies that she's not good enough or whatever.

"Or..a corpse. If you weren't so damn tight and warm." Seulgi continues.

Irene moans.

And everything stops.

They look at each other for a beat.

And the world gets going again. Only a little louder this time.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The next time you get changed, will you please fucking kindly not leave your dirty laundry lying around?" Irene asks the person smoking a cigarette and having a beer on the couch.

"Hmm." Was the only reply.

She throws the t-shirt she's holding at the person. "You're so.." She starts to say. Thinks better of herself and just walks out to the kitchen.

They follow her. "You know I was busy. Who has time to think about things like that?" They ask after back hugging her. "I have time for something else though. If you know what I mean." Tries to untie the knot of her sweatpants.

"Junmyeon please. I'm tired from work. And instead of resting already, I'm here sorting out your shit for you." Irene replies.

Junmyeon grumbles. "Why even come over then?" He asks. Walking back to the couch with a gait very much like a child who was told no.

Irene sighs. "I don't know." She whispers.

"Hey, since you're in the kitchen already can you make me a sandwich?" Junmyeon yells out.

Irene thinks about what she was doing before she got here.

_"You have a ride home?" Seulgi asks._

_They're getting dressed. Two hours done from the five they took out the room for._

_"I'll be fine walking." Irene replies._

_"Sketchy place."_

_"This entire city is a sketchy place."_

_Seulgi chuckles. "That's true. But that doesn't mean I'd let you walk around on your own at this hour."_

_"Since when did you care?"_

_"I just want my dear fuck buddy to be safe."_

_"I don't need you."_

_"Nice to know you're only here for the dicking down." Seulgi mockingly says. Ties the string on her sweatpants and smirks at the obvious way Irene tries and fails to hide the way she stared at her crotch._

_"Are you not here just for the pussy?" Irene bites back. Equally mocking. Averting her eyes and trying to stop herself from biting her lip._

_Seulgi walks up to Irene and looks her in the eyes._

_Long enough for both of them to feel that surge of something they do not want to acknowledge._

_Seulgi flicks her in the forehead. Hard. "Don't you forget that, babes." She says._

_"You're the worst person I have ever met, Kang Seulgi." Irene says. Unlatches the lock from the door and prepares to step out._

_"Right back at ya, Bae!" Seulgi calls out seconds before the door closes behind Irene._

Irene thinks about how much of a lie her statement to Seulgi was. Shakes her head at the weird bout of remorse.

They're both equally the worst.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seulgi breathes deep when she walks in her own apartment. Unravels the scarf she's wearing around her neck and hangs it on the hook behind the door.

She toes off her shoes and tosses her keys into a bowl she put on top of her shoe rack.

Pads along in her socks to the fridge that is five steps away and opens it to pick up a beer.

She sits in the sofa and quietly drinks. Mentally counts the amount of time she can sleep if she passes out right at that moment.

Her phone vibrates in her pocket. She checks the caller ID and sighs long and deep before picking up the call.

"This better be good, Sooyoung." She says as a greeting.

_"You at home?"_ Sooyoung asks.

"I am. And I'm hanging up on you now if that's the only thing you called about." Seulgi replies.

_"What are you so tired for? There's barely anything going on at the station today."_

"None of your business."

_"Did you fuck the D.A again? I told you nothing good's going to come out of that arrangement."_

"None of your business. Bye, Sooyoung."

Seulgi was genuinely going to hang up. But she heard a very loud _"WAIT!"_ From the other end of the call so she puts the phone back up to her ear to listen.

"Sooyoung. I am exhausted whether I fucked the D.A or not. What do you want?" Seulgi exasperatedly asks. Chugs down her beer and puts the bottle on the coffee table.

_"They found a body inside an apartment in Welsh street. I'm on my way there with Seungwan now. Chief asked me to tell you to show up as well."_ Sooyoung hurriedly explains.

Seulgi sighs. Pinches the bridge of her nose and stands up.

"Goddammit."


	7. THE BODY IN APARTMENT 405

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are starting to heat up.

"Stop." Seungwan shoves Seulgi just as she was about to step through the door.

"What the fuck is your problem?" Seulgi bristles. Rubs the part of her hip that hit the opposite wall.

Seungwan gestures wildly. "Look around you. This is an active crime scene. You're not even properly geared up!"

Seulgi shrugs. "Do I have to look like you to be considered properly geared up?" She asks wearily. Gestures to Seungwan's full PPE outfit complete with triple layered black gloves.

Seungwan rapidly nods. Grabs Seulgi's arm and pulls her aside. "It's a mess in there, Seulgi. Holyshit. Joy barfed two seconds after getting a whiff of the smell."

"Hmm." Seulgi picks up some overalls. Proceeds to don them.

"Guy's been decomposing in there for about two weeks. Just..bodily fluids everywhere mahn. Through the bedcovers, through the mattress, through the bed, through the floor. Which..I suppose is a lucky break? They wouldn't have found him had he not seeped through the apartment below's ceiling."

"Place was hot huh?" Seulgi comments with a grimace. Snaps a couple of gloves into place on her hand.

"The landlord said something about how the temp on that room had always been broken. There was an open window too."

Seulgi gestures with her head for Seungwan to lead her through the apartment which her friend does.

They go through the front door and Seulgi notes the mess in the living room. Nods and makes a mental note to check the area after going through the actual bedroom.

She peeks through the door right in front of the bathroom. Laundry. Takes a photo of the dog cage abandoned in one corner of it.

Seungwan stops in front of a door at the end of the short hallway they passed. Knocks on it twice.

Seulgi chuckles. "You still do that?" She asks Seungwan who just shrugs at her.

"Can't hurt to be respectful to them still." Seungwan replies.

"What if the dead one's a hunk of steaming shit when they were alive?"

"The dead don't function on the same rules as the living."

"Poetic."

"Hmm." Seungwan grabs the doorknob. "Hold your breath." She says before opening the door.

Seulgi is wearing full PPE gear. Three layers of facemasks to make up for Seungwan's lack of extra respirators.

And yet the smell still hits her like a train. She staggers back a couple of steps. Gestures for Seungwan to close the door again. "Jesus!" She complains.

"Yeah..I don't think he'd like that smell either." Seungwan jokes.

"Motherfuck..I haven't even seen the body yet."

"I told you to hold your breath."

"Goddammit. It's so strong I can taste the decomp."

"Yeah goddammit indeed." Says a voice from behind Seulgi who jumps in surprise.

Both Seungwan and the newcomer, Sooyoung laugh at her.

"Oh fuck you both." Seulgi grumbles.

"Sure." Sooyoung replies. "When, where, and how do you want me?"

"Gross. I don't fuck friends."

"Oof, Joy." Seungwan says with a laugh. "I guess you have to offer again when you've managed to become an obnoxiously bossy, but hella BRILLIANT defense attorney."

Seulgi glowers at her friends. Wonders how and why they spend time bantering like this when there's a decomposing body just through the door they were standing in front of.

"Booo." Sooyoung says. Drapes an arm over a protesting Seulgi. "I would have liked a ride on that disco stick." Taps the aforementioned spot where the 'disco stick' is peacefully chilling inside Seulgi's pants.

Seulgi punches Sooyoung in the arm. "Are we done being children?" She complains.

"Could have been in there by now if you weren't such a wimp." Seungwan states.

"Hmm."

Sooyoung gestures to a vague direction outside. "I've been out asking people some questions." She reveals. "Can't stay here too long. Fucking smell sticks to skin, there's not enough soap to get that out of your system."

Seungwan opens the door to the bedroom again.

Both Sooyoung and Seulgi suppress gagging at the stench.

They walked in all three of them.

The mess from the living room has nothing on the mess in this bedroom.

There's a chest of drawers tipped over to it's front next to the door. Picture frames and a couple of chairs scattered all around like they were used to repel someone, the pillows are thrown about the room, and worst of all, there was blood splatters everywhere. The walls, the furniture, the floor.

"Holy shit." Sooyoung commented.

Seungwan shrugs. "Yerim is going to bitch about the cleanup work again." She said. "Body's on the bed." Points to the barely recognizable lump of decomposing human she's talking about.

Seulgi thinks Seungwan does not know what the word 'on' means. Because the way she sees it, the body is half on the bed and half on the floor.

The upper part of the body is sprawled on the ground and the lower half was draped on the bed itself. Limp and sagging. Discolored in the worst way. The face can barely be considered a face anymore considering the amount of decomposition that had already ravaged it.

There were flies everywhere, coming in and out of an open window. Maggots around and in the body itself. Amongst other insects that swarmed around the feast of decay.

"My eyes are watering." Sooyoung whispers. "God if this isn't one of those days. And it's only midnight goddammit."

"Hmm." Seulgi answers. Attempts to step closer to the actual thing.

Seungwan puts out an arm to stop her. "Careful. There's fat everywhere. Slippery as shit." She warns.

Seulgi nods. Looks around the floor for a less shiny spot to put her foot in and picks her way around to get relatively closer to the body like she intended.

"Anyone else want a burger after this?" She asks. Staring at the markings that are faintly visible around the 'man's' neck.

Sooyoung shudders. "Can we not talk about food right now?" She asks.

Wendy nods. "We can talk about something else." She offers. Discreetly getting Sooyoung's attention and pointing at Seulgi who is already sketching a couple of things in her notebook.

"Yeah." Sooyoung says. Getting the hint. "Like where Detective Kang Seulgi was earlier."

"I was at home." Seulgi curtly replies. Counts the stab wounds she can see that dot the upper body of the victim. 

She gets to 20 before Wendy speaks again.

"Which home? Your apartment home or the motel room you go to every week?" Wendy says.

"My apartment, Seungwan. Stop asking stupid questions."

Seungwan was about to retort when there was a knock on the door behind them. They turn to look.

"Disgustang sheeeeet." Says the newcomer. Large grin in place. "Get it? Coz the sheet's disgustang with bodily fluids and other biohazard?" Does the international gesture for a corny joke, makes the noise that comes with it. "Badumtss!"

"Yerim, why are you even here already?" Sooyoung asks the new person.

"Inspecting the place ya know?" Yerim answers "Gotta see if I can do a quote on how much clean up would be and JESUS H. CHRIST who spray painted the wall with blood?!"

"Probably this guy." Seulgi answers. Pointing to the body. "His throat's cut. Like..his head is about to come off deep."

"Huh." Wendy says.

Yeri grins wider when she saw who answered her question. "My sister was with you a couple hours ago?" She asks Seulgi who gives her the finger and shoves her aside to walk out the room.

"It was a perfectly valid question." Yerim said. "Irene unnie went home looking like she can barely walk. I know for a fact that wasn't coz of her pencil dick boyfriend, Junmyeon oppa."

They all chuckle. Sooyoung chokes halfway into hers.

"Dafuck's your deal, Joy?" Yeri asks.

Sooyoung fans the air around her. Closes her eyes. "The stench is fucking atrocious. Can we leave?" She asks.

Wendy nods. "Yeah let's go. I'll call for tech to pick up the body to bring to the lab."

\----------------------------------------

They were all seated at their usual booth in this one diner a block from the police station.

Chewing on Double Patty extra bacon burgers and a milkshake for each of them.

Seungwan kicks Seulgi's foot lightly under the table. Gestures with her head for Seulgi to look at the girl manning the counter.

"What?" Seulgi asks.

"Girl at the counter looks like someone we know." Sooyoung says.

Seulgi glances at the girl everyone was talking about. Blinks twice. "Hmm." Goes back to her burger.

"Wouldn't hurt to be a little more enthusiastic about my Irene unnie having a softer looking burger flipping clone." Yerim comments.

"Your sister is a bitch and a half." Seulgi retorts. "I can barely tolerate her when we're fucking, why do you think I will waste two seconds of my time wanting a clone of her when I can just as easily can't?"

Sooyoung laughs loudly. Too loudly that Seungwan had to slap her arm to get her to quiet down. Especially when it's two in the morning and other diners were staring at them weird.

"Jesus!" Sooyoung yells. "You have a very messed up relationship with the D.A." She adds, pointing at Seulgi.

"It's not a relationship." Seulgi says. "Not your business either so can we not discuss it?"

Yerim takes a bite of her burger. Chances a drink from Sooyoung's chocolate milkshake and earns herself a slap in the face for the effort.

Seungwan wipes the table with a couple pieces of tissue. Shrugs. "What do you guys think happened to the guy from earlier?" She asks.

"Isn't it your job to find out?" Sooyoung answers.

"Well yeah..but I take suggestions."

Seulgi pretends to think. Looks around the diner in the process and can't stop herself from winking at the girl in the counter. Snickers at the panicked blushing she got in return and at the way the lady rushed to hide in the kitchen.

"Hey!" Yerim chastises her with a nudge. "Don't do that!"

Seulgi was just about to retort when all their phones start ringing at the same time. 

There was a crash from the kitchen. It seems the burger lady is a bit jumpy.

Everyone in their table look at each other.

Sooyoung was the first who picks up the call. "Yes? Uhuh? What like now? Hmm?"

Seungwan takes hers. "Seungwan speaking. Uhuh..what?! Uhmm..well.."

Seulgi is next. "Kang." She greets. Blinks twice because of what she was told.

"DON'T YOU GUYS HAVE ANY OTHER TEAM TO SEND OUT?!" Yerim suddenly screams into her phone. Several people including the ones she's seated with, jump. 

"GODDAMMIT!" A scream from the kitchen after another set of loud clanging.


	8. THE PARK MURDER

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The body count is getting higher.

"Through and through." Sooyoung observes. 

The others who were with her and also staring at the body in the middle of a yellow police tape cordon, nod.

"No blood." Yerim says. "Less cleanup. I can just kick the dirt around and should be good as new."

"No." Seulgi says to Yerim. Exasperated. "You are NOT allowed to do that." 

"What are you gonna do?" Yerim challenges. "Tell on me to my sister?" 

"Will you two just kindly shut the fuck up?" Sooyoung requests. 

Seungwan hums from where she's knelt down and staring way too close to the body. "This murder is fucking..perfect." She whispers. 

"Bet twenty bucks that guy didn't think it was." Yerim jokes. 

Both Sooyoung and Seulgi suppress snickers. 

Seungwan excitedly stands up. "Guys. You don't understand." She says when she gets in front of her friends again. "This hit is JUST the right way for the cactus spine to go through the skin, bypass all the blood vessels in his throat, go through the other side and get stuck in his airway. He didn't die from the wound or internal bleeding, or any of that other crap. He choked to death because that thing is PERFECTLY lodged in his throat."

"Has anyone ever told you that you have the weirdest interests?" Sooyoung asks Seungwan. 

"I work with dead bodies for a living." Seungwan answers. Deadpan. 

"Fair enough." Yerim says. Taps Seulgi on the shoulder twice. "Don't you have a job to do?" She asks. 

Seulgi was knocked off a daydream she was having about the events from the previous night. The D.A told a joke that actually made her laugh. "Huh?" She answers. 

"Gloves on, guys." Seungwan says. "It's time to collect evidence."

\-----------------------------------------

"Park Chanyeol." Yerim reads aloud from the driver's license she found in the body's pocket. "Hey! Aren't you a Park too?" She asks Sooyoung who shrugs. 

"I don't know every single Park in this planet, Yerim." Sooyoung answers with an eyeroll. 

"Park Chanyeol who died in a Park." Seungwan says. Looks through the wallet that passed to her. "Holyshit." 

"Hmm?" Seulgi replies. 

Seungwan points to the photo that was revealed when she flipped the wallet over. 

Sooyoung looks over and gasps. 

The photo in the victim's wallet is a yearbook photo. The kind you give away after graduation to whoever it is you're dating during that time. A photo of a girl smiling brightly at the camera in full graduation regalia. Her name neatly printed at the corner of the picture.

"I suppose this can be considered a lead?" Sooyoung asks the rest. 

"Big lead if you ask me." Seulgi says. "Maybe even a breakthrough." Bags the wallet as evidence. 

They all look back at the body again. 

"Park Chanyeol who died in a Park." Yerim repeats what Seungwan said earlier.

"Park Chanyeol who died in a Park who probably has a girlfriend who is also a Park?" Sooyoung says.

"Park Chaeyoung." Seungwan whispers to herself.

"Ah shit!" Seulgi yells. "I forgot where I parked."

\-----------------------------------------

"Park Chaeyoung." Seungwan whispers.

"Why are you so fixated?" Seulgi asks.

"Felt like I heard it somewhere."

"Your Blackpink bias' Korean name is Park Chaeyoung."

"Not there, Seulgi. Also, will you shush? I don't want my rep to get ruined around here."

"Pshh. You don't have a rep, Seungwan."

"You never know. One of these bodies could be one of those fucked up stans. I don't want a fanwar in my morgue thanks very much."

"Ahh! Real zombies!"

They chuckle. Seungwan opens the door to the sterile environment of her office. After knocking twice.

"Still odd to me that you keep doing that." Seulgi says. Taking off her coat and hanging it at a hanger that's standing tall next to Seungwan's desk.

Seungwan tugs on a lab coat. Puts on her specs and shrugs. "I already told you my reasons." She answers.

"Mhmm. Still odd."

"Fuck off." Seungwan walks to one of the tables. Taps the edge and breathes before lifting the sheet and exposing the body of Mr. Park Chanyeol that is laid on it.

Seulgi sits on Seungwan's office chair. Rolls herself next to the owner and stares at the body as well. "What's the diagnosis, doc?" She asks.

"Asphyxia. Final answer." Seungwan says. Takes a pair of tongs and uses it to grab hold of the cactus spine in the guy's throat.

"Uhh..don't we need a face shield for what you're going to do?" Seulgi asks.

"If my 'diagnosis' is right..and it usually is. We don't." Seungwan counts to three and pulls.

Seulgi flinches. Closes her eyes for the inevitable blood spurts. Two seconds. Nothing. She opens her eyes again to find Seungwan silently fist-pumping in glee.

"Jesus." Seulgi said.

"Absolutely brilliant." Seungwan replies. Grabs a tray and drops the cactus spine on it. "Perfect one in a billion circumstance. I love my job."

"Well, I don't." Seulgi declares. Slouches in the chair and tries to stretch her legs as far as they can go. "The more dead bodies for you to tinker with..the more paperwork for me."

Seungwan pokes at the body's chest. It groans. Long and deep. Exactly how a usual zombie would sound like in the movies.

Seulgi jumps and runs to the door in a panic.

Seungwan just laughs. "Relax will ya?" She jokes. "It's just air stuck in the lungs. Dead people do that sometimes."

"FUCKING HELL!" Seulgi screams. Hand on her chest.

"How are you a detective again? You're too jumpy." Seungwan says. Takes a piece of cloth and covers the body's face with it.

Seulgi goes back in her seat. "I respectfully request that you warn me the next time you will make a dead body do that."

"Sure, Slug. You gonna watch me look into this guy or nah?"

The thing is, Seulgi was about to nod. But then her phone rings.

"Kang." She answers without looking at the caller ID. Tucks her phone between her face and shoulder and then stretches both arms. "Where?" Suddenly bringing them down and holding the phone properly. "Dude..There's two with Seungwan alrea--FINE. Okay. If you're going then I can't be alone with you..We'll catch a ride with Sooyoung..what? Fuck. You."

Seungwan chuckles. Watches Seulgi exchange expletives with whoever it was she was on the phone with.

"I hope you fucking..shrivel up and die. Old hag." Seulgi says.

The person on the other end of the phone call screams out a reply that's so loud Seulgi had to move the phone away from her ear.

_"I HOPE YOUR DISEASE COVERED DICK FUCKING FALLS OFF, KANG SEULGI!!"_

"YOU WERE BEGGING FOR THIS DICK LAST FUCKING NIGHT, IRENE BAE! WHO'S DISEASE RIDDEN NOW?!" Seulgi retaliates.

Seungwan shakes her head. Walks over to her friend and taps Seulgi on the shoulder. "Hang up. You and Irene are going to end up yelling for hours again." She says.

"You make my blood boil." Seulgi says to Irene.

_"Right back at 'ya, Kang Seulgi. Right back at 'ya."_ Irene answers. _"I'll see your mug at the station entrance. Five minutes or I'm telling the chief you're a piece of shit."_

Seulgi sputters. Is about to yell again except Irene already hung up. She stares at her phone in disbelief. "God..what the FUCK is up with that BITCH?!" She complains. Pockets her cellphone.

"Sounds like you're going somewhere?" Seungwan replies.

Seulgi nods. Stands up and walks to the door with Seungwan trailing behind her. "Yeah..there's..uhh..another body..you might want to clear up some space in here."

"Oh goddammit." Seungwan says. Shaking her head.

Seulgi taps her on the cheeks before going. "Cheer up, Seungwan!" She says with a smile. "I thought you love your job?"


	9. BLOOD IN THE BATHROOM

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's taking credit for this one?

"Why are you even here?" Seulgi asks the person sitting next to her in the backseat of Sooyoung's beat up Toyota Corolla.

They send her a response by way of giving her the finger.

Seulgi blinks. Frowns hard and turns away. "Fucking fine. I was trying to make conversation." She says.

"Small talk fucking annoys me." They reply.

"Everything Sluggie does annoys you, Irene." Sooyoung states from the driver's seat. "Can you two try and be civil today at least?"

"Jesus it's like you two weren't just fucking last night." Yerim says from next to Sooyoung up front.

Irene gasps. Slaps Yerim up the back of the head. "LANGUAGE!" She yells.

"What. Ever. Unnie. Your thing with Detective Kang is the station's loudest secret. Who do you two think you're fooling?" Yerim retorts.

"You know.." Sooyoung says to Yeri. "You're a crime scene cleaner. A.K.A not even supposed to be at the station or hanging around us this often."

Yeri just flaps her hands around as a sign of nevermind. "Hanging around with you guys just makes for some very fun gossip."

"Hold on.." Seulgi says. "You guys..gossip about us."

"This is your fault." Irene says to Seulgi. Kicks her in the leg.

"Oh go and fucking die." Seulgi replies to Irene.

"You too."

Sooyoung laughs. "yOu To0." She mocks.

"yoU T0O." Yeri says as well.

"Knock it off guys." Seulgi said. Firm. No room for no.

Irene blinks and looks at the one next to her who doesn't even acknowledge her. Just continues staring at the passing landscape outside the car's window.

"Just fucking date already. Jesus." Sooyoung (who noticed) whispers.

\------------------------------------------

"This is not at all where I expected a dead body to end up in." Irene says.

They're all standing in front of the restroom door for one of the city's numerous seedy bars.

Sooyoung kicks over a pile of empty beer cans. "Didn't even know this place is still part of our jurisdiction." She said.

"So who would do the honors?" Yerim asks everyone with her who all imperceptibly shake their heads no.

She shrugs. "Well alright then." And pushes the door open.

They all gasp.

Irene blinks once. Twice. And then grabs Seulgi's arm in a vice grip.

Seulgi startles. Looks over at Irene who was shaking where she's standing, probably just grabbed her to use as support.

"Shut up and just fucking..don't move. Stay here. Holyshit. Why was I asked to come with you guys what the fuck.." Irene whispers to Seulgi. Tucks her face into Seulgi's chest in an unexpected hug.

"Goddamn." Yerim says. "This..this is just.."

"Overkill?" Sooyoung asks.

There is a bloody handprint on one of the mirrors. A dead man collapsed in odd angles that is smack dab in the middle of the bathroom floor. Surrounded by a puddle of blood and covered with numerous stab wounds. There is also a bloody cistern lid that is cracked in half, lying next to the dead man.

Just like the state of the room where they found the first body of the day, there's blood splatters everywhere.

"Whoever killed this guy is ANGRY." Sooyoung says with a grimace.

"Fuuuuuuuuuck." Is Irene's input. Muffled into Seulgi's chest where her face is smushed.

Seulgi taps Irene twice at the top of the head. "No one told you to come with." She says.

"The chief wants me to handle these cases. Said something about how I should be at the crime scene so I can observe." Irene answers.

"Oh?" Yerim says. "You're officially part of the team now, unnie? AWYISSSS IZ GON BE FUN!"

"Nooooooooooooooo." Seulgi whispers. Irene punches her in the stomach. Hard.

"OOF! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" Seulgi complains.

"You know what? Fuck this." Irene said. "Fuck. I can't be in here. Jesus.." And then walks out.

Seulgi rubs the part of her stomach that Irene punched. "Fucking crazy lady that one is. How is she your sister?" She asks Yerim who just shrugs at her.

"Hey, Slug." Sooyoung calls. From her spot standing over the dead man.

"Hmm?"

"You want to bet on a cause of death?"

"Can I join in?" Yeri asks with her hand raised.

Seulgi shrugs. Puts down the bag she has that contains her crime scene kit and starts pulling out what she needs. "What's the pot?"

"Loser has to take care of the drinks we'll need to have after all this." Sooyoung declares.

"Well.." Yeri says. "The obvious C.O.D are the stab wounds."

Seulgi points to the body using the pen she's holding. "His face is bashed in." She says. "That's my call."

"Man is strangled." Irene says. Walking back inside.

"Fuck you. I hope you get strangled." Seulgi retorts.

Irene sputters. "You fucking asshole."

"Can you two not?" Sooyoung requests. "Slug. Call for a coroner and some backup. Jesus. This place is a fucking mess."

"Hey!" Yerim yells from inside one of the stalls she checked out. "There's a hundred dollar bill in here! Lucky!"

\------------------------------------------

"I'm..not good with blood and all that stuff." Irene whispers.

They're sitting on the hood of Sooyoung's Corolla. Away from everyone else who is in the area and surveying the crime scene.

Seulgi had finished collecting evidence as much as she can and her partner Sooyoung is out talking to the techs who arrived to collect the body.

"Huh?" Seulgi says.

Irene repeats what she said. "I guess that whole thing just.." She shudders.

"Why?" Seulgi asks. Thinks about why she asked as well.

Irene shrugs. Hugs her arms to herself. "When I was a kid..I saw my neighbor shoot his wife in the face with a shotgun."

"What the fuck."

"Yup. No lie, that shit was gnarly. Like.." Irene gestures. "Pffsh. Brain matter everywhere. And everyone screaming."

"Where did this even happen?"

"At a Mcdonald's for the neighbor's kid's birthday party. I was only there coz my mother wanted to show off my new dress to the other PTA kids."

"Holy shit."

Irene nods. "It was gross. Looked like jelly but not the good kind."

"Is that why you wanted to be a lawyer?" Seulgi jokingly asks. "So you can bring justice to people who are treated like that and other crap?"

"Nope." Irene pops the word. "I'm only a Lawyer because in terms of pay..it's either that or I become a Doctor. Which..no.."

"You would have been a great doctor." Seulgi says.

Irene does a double take. "Was that a compliment?" She asks in surprise.

To which Seulgi nods. "Yup. It was. And I mean it too. You'd make a great doctor."

"Damn. That came out of nowhere."

Seulgi smirks. "Part of that is also coz if you were a doctor I wouldn't have to deal with you."

"There's the catch." Irene chuckles. Gets off the car hood and taps Seulgi twice on the knee. "I hate your guts." She says.

Seulgi just winks. "I can rearrange yours. Does next Thursday sound good?"

"You're fucking disgusting." Irene blinks and shakes her head. Speaks again after releasing a defeated sigh. "I'll meet you..at the usual around 8PM?"

Seulgi smiles. "Looking forward to it, babes."

\------------------------------------------

"Three dead bodies in one day, Seungwan. Three. Exactly how the fuck am I supposed to relax at this situation?" Seulgi complains.

"There's a defense attorney hanging out in her office because her boyfriend ditched their lunch date. Try her." Seungwan replies. Not looking up from the body she's dissecting. 

"It's not Thursday yet."

"Does it have to be on a Thursday?"

"It's tradition."

"She has a boyfriend." Yerim comments from her perch on top of a vacant autopsy table.

"Who gives a fuck?" Seulgi replies.

Sooyoung enters the room. Carrying a tray with a bunch of instruments. "You and the Bae both do apparently." She snickers out as a joke. 

They all chuckle. 

Yerim checks her phone. Sighs and wipes her face with her hand. "They found a fourth body. Anyone need a ride to location? My creepy white van longs for passengers."

"Jesus Christ." Seulgi says.

Seungwan shrugs. "If it's from the same suspect..then this person is probably the most random serial killer in the planet."


	10. TWO OF FOUR

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone is going to start racking up a kill count. With assistance.

Rosie does not believe in hiding. If she gets caught for what happened then she gets caught for what happened.

Regret is not something she would waste her time wallowing in.

The first day after the fact was the start of the weekend so she's spent it cleaning the apartment. Bagged up Chanyeol's clothes, put all his things in boxes and drove herself to the local landfill where she dumped everything.

She wasn't trying to hide evidence. No. She wasn't. She just does not want to see him anywhere after all that. Not because she's guilty, she's just not the type to keep any sort of memento. After all, a breakup is a breakup no matter how it went down.

Very early, midnight, on the second day, she received a call from one of her friends to go out for the coming evening. An invitation for coffee that may be parlayed into drinks at a club on the other side of the city.

She contemplated not going. But decided that it's best to unwind even for a couple hours.

She switches yoga poses. Blinks twice and disrupts her own Zen when she realizes what she forgot to do.

She sighs. Moves to stand and picks up the towel hanging from the side of the sofa. Wipes her sweat with it. Checks the clock. 1AM.

She goes and puts on shoes. Shaking her head at her own stupidity. It's been two days. She hopes it's not too bad yet.

She gets to the car parked in front of the apartment building. Unlocks it and reaches in for the lever to open the trunk. Once done, she goes and checks the contents of it.

She sighs. Chanyeol is 6 foot 1. He's probably really cramped considering he spent two days in that trunk with his legs all bent like that.

She covers him back up with the blanket she put on him the first night. Thinks about how messed it up was that she had to 'carry' him all the way home after what she did. Hard enough that by the time she got to the car and managed to stuff him in the trunk, she was desperately wishing that someone had seen them and realized that she was not dragging a drunk guy home and called the police.

As it stands, it's been two days and there's still nothing on her. No one is even looking for him.

She gets on the car and briefly feels sorry for her (ex) boyfriend. Man was an orphan who worked to build a nice life for himself once he got out of the system.

She starts the car. Thinks about how they met in college and all that crap. Realizes it's pointless to do that now so she just breathes in and out and turns on the radio. Switches to a station Chanyeol loved as some sort of farewell before she drives back to the park she murdered him in.

There were no people at that time of the night so she manages to unload his body from the trunk for the journey back to where everything went down. She stares at him and knows that there is no way she'd be able to get him to 'stand' straight at the state his body was in so she shrugs and just wraps him up in the blanket which she then uses to drag him along.

She picks a slightly hidden part of the park to leave him in. Along the secluded part of the path.

She unravels the blanket and lets him 'roll' off down the slight hill before he stops at a small embankment next to a tiny river and some rosebushes. Fitting.

She stares for a solid five minutes. Whispers a sorry and then leaves.

That's that done and out of the way.

\---------------------------------------------------------

The coffee invitation does in fact get parlayed into a few drinks at the local bar.

She's about five cocktails in when she decides that the entire place is a little too loud for her tastes so she informs her friend that she's going to the toilet.

Misses the guy who follows her inside after joking around with his friends.

She does her business and briefly wonders how nice it was that the bathroom is empty at this time of the night. Probably because everyone is out on the dance floor.

She steps out of the stall after flushing (she's not a savage) and walks to the sink to wash her hands.

Looks up at the feel of someone hugging her from behind and sees a guy grinning at her through the mirror.

"Heeey giiiiiiirl!" He drunkenly says. Rosie pushes him back. He stumbles but manages to 'right' himself before falling over. "What's a pretty gurl like youuuu..."

She raises an eyebrow at him. Looks around the place, looks at him, and decides she can make a run for it or defend herself against this guy if push comes to shove. He is pretty wasted, she reasons in her head.

"I wanna...fuckkk youuuu." He says.

"That's gross." She replies.

He points at her with a frown. "Who you think you are?" He drunkenly asks. "Should be honored a man like me..wants to shove his dick in you."

Rosie just turns her back on him and finishes washing her hands.

He's still rambling. Nonsense sentences, mostly about how he wants to do the sex and what he's planning on doing.

Gets louder and louder to the point that he's just shouting at Rosie while drunkenly pointing at her.

Rosie sighs. She really hates it when people speak too loud.

She goes and walks off to one of the stalls. Lifts the lid from one of the toilet cisterns and comes back to the 'main' toilet area where the guy is still rambling and making obscene gestures at her. Probably thinking it's helping his case.

It doesn't.

Rosie just swings the marble lid and catches the guy right on the cheek. Knocks him over into his back with the sound of his smashed beer bottle that goes unheard because of the loud music outside.

He's still mumbling. Rosie just sighs again. Sits on the guy's chest (his face lights up. Probably thinking it's go time. It's not) flips the lid and then proceeds to repeatedly bash him in the face with it. Nevermind the blood that's just flying everywhere.

She doesn't know how long she's been doing that for when the toilet door opens and a girl walks in.

Rosie and the girl stare at each other.

The guy underneath Rosie just gurgles. Half dead with his face smashed in.

The girl walks to the sink. Turns on one of the taps and flips her hair. "Rough night?" She asks Rosie while washing her hands.

Rosie blinks at her. "Uhhh.." Wonders how in the hell this girl is staying calm after walking in on everything.

As if she read Rosie's mind, the girl walks to the toilet door and locks it. Goes to Rosie and offers a hand to help her up.

"I'm Jennie." The girl introduces herself.

Rosie grimaces at the blood that's all over her hands. Stands up on her own and shrugs. "Rosie." She says about herself.

Jennie grins. Points at the guy. "What's his deal?" She asks.

Rosie shrugs. "Made a pass at me." Is all she offers as an explanation. Figures this girl deserves a small amount of trust considering she hasn't ran out screaming yet.

Jennie rolls her tongue around her mouth. Nods. "Fair enough." She replies. "You don't talk much do you, Rosie?"

"I don't like it when it's loud."

"That makes sense." Jennie nods again. Pulls a switchblade out of her bra and points to the man. "Need help?"


	11. THE PARTNERS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two are connected from the beginning, two have just met, and more connections are slowly being made.

Jisoo watches with interest from a cafe across the street of her apartment building.

Observes the police officers and other crime scene technicians who are coming and going, carrying items they think are of interest.

She sips her coffee and receives a call from the boss of this one local newspaper she sometimes writes articles for for extra cash.

"Kim." She picks up.

 _"Jisoo you have to come by the office. We have an exclusive from the police department and I want you to cover it."_ The boss says.

Jisoo nods to herself. Finishes her coffee and stands up. Right when a police officer walks in the cafe.

She catches them introducing themselves to the barista before she walks out the door completely.

_"Hi! I'm Park Sooyoung! I was just wondering if it's alright for me to ask you a couple of questions?"_

\------------------------------------------

"Early." Jisoo comments upon seeing her usual field companion.

They nod from where they are seated with both legs put up on the desk next to them. Tosses a peanut high up in the air and catches it with their mouth. "Meh. Something about a press conference the police department is gearing up for." They say.

Jisoo deposits her messenger bag on her desk and sits down. Gets comfortable and then takes out a pencil and her trusty notebook. "Any idea what time we need to go?" She asks her partner who shrugs and continues to play with their food.

Jisoo sighs. Pinches the bridge of her nose. "Goddammit, Lisa. Pay attention."

Lisa laughs. Puts down her legs and pumps her eyebrows up and down at Jisoo. "Bro. I have not slept in two days. Like..I'm high on caffeine right now. I can taste colors."

"Figures." Jisoo says. "What did you do this weekend even?"

Lisa blinks at the question. Frowns for a split second and returns to the usual cheeky smile she always has. "I cooked." She proudly declares.

"Bring some food for me sometime."

Lisa shakes her head. "Nah. I don't feel like it. My cooking is shit. I wouldn't put you through that."

"Suit yourself. Be greedy."

The office door for the paper's editor-in-chief opens and the owner comes out. "Glad to see you two again. The police department's holding a press conference at their station in a couple of hours. Something about some murder victims they found..not sure. I want you two to go over there and cover it. Make sure we get the facts straight so we can run the story right away." He instructs Jisoo and Lisa.

"Guess I have to get my camera from home." Lisa whispers.

"You should." Their boss replies. "I'll send you off now. Get there early, find a decent spot. I heard they're sending out that hotshot new Criminal D.A, Irene Bae to speak on behalf of the force."

\------------------------------------------

"Bro. Let me use your toilet!" Jisoo insists. Shoving Lisa who is trying to desperately block the front door of her apartment, not letting Jisoo through.

"My toilet's broken!" Lisa shouts.

"What kind of fucking excuse?!"

"Come on, Soo." Lisa begs. "My toilet's broken. Uhhh..ask the neighbors if you can use theirs. Just tell them my name and they'd let you in for sure."

"No, dude. Just let me use yours. I don't want to talk to strangers about shit like that, I just want to pee." Jisoo says. Slightly annoyed at how her friend is refusing her one request.

Lisa shakes her head. "No dude."

"Fuck you mahn."

Lisa shrugs. "What can I do?" She replies.

Jisoo nods. Turns around to walk to the next door neighbor's.

Lisa quickly unlocks her own apartment and attempts to walk inside. But Jisoo is faster. She shoves Lisa away from the door and triumphantly steps foot inside her friend's apartment.

She rushes to the bathroom without looking at anything else. Set on a goal. She hears Lisa's (angry) shout of "GODDAMMIT!" from outside and chuckles to herself.

After finishing her business, she washes her hands and wipes with a couple of paper towels from the roll that is hanging next to the shower curtain.

She accidentally slips and stifles a scream. Grabbing the shower curtain out of pure instinct and bringing the whole thing down to the floor with her.

"Ahh fuck." She says while standing up and dusting herself off.

She picks up her mess and plans to return it to it's spot. Ends up blinking incredulously at what she sees lying in Lisa's bathtub.

There was a knock at the door and Jisoo startles. Hears her friend speak from the other side.

"Jisoo? Uhhh..are you done? We gotta get to the venue." Lisa says. Clearly nervous. Or is she? Jisoo thinks.

She laughs to herself. Shakes her head and looks around for what she can use just in case. Picks up a razor and breaks off the casing to expose just the blades that she keeps in her hand. Breathes.

And opens the door.

Lisa is standing in the other side. One hand poised in the air like she's just about to knock again.

Jisoo smiles at her. Lisa blinks at the bathroom behind Jisoo. Sees the shower curtain pulled down and gasps. "Ah shit." She said. "I can explain..Soo. I can explain."

Jisoo laughs. Taps Lisa twice on the forehead. "Yah. Don't worry too much. We can talk on the drive. We have a press conference to attend." She said before walking to the front door and stepping outside the apartment.

She knows Lisa won't follow right away. Her friend would probably attempt to clean up in there first and think of an excuse. So she lights a cigarette and waits.

A few minutes later, Lisa finally arrives. Eyes downcast. Quiet. Far from the usual loud personality she is.

They walk to the elevators in silence. Walk to the car parked in front of the building in silence.

"Jisoo." Lisa speaks once they are both in the car and on the way to the police station where the press conference would take place.

"Hmm?" Jisoo replies with a small smile.

"That's uhh..a mannequin."

Jisoo bursts out laughing. "You expect me to believe that?" She asks Lisa who blanches.

"It is!" Lisa insists.

"Sure, Manoban. Sure."

\------------------------------------------

"We have reason to believe that the two murders are connected. These cases are the top priority for our police force and we are doing all we can to get the perpetrator of these heinous crimes off the streets. If anyone has any information about anything regarding the two victims, or the crimes themselves, you can call our tip hotline at 1-800-0801-808. Thank you very much."

Jisoo blinks herself awake. Stares at the notebook she's holding where she listed down points she can use about the press conference to pad the article she is going to write.

Lisa is off to the side of the stage snapping pictures of the speaker who introduced herself as Irene Bae.

Jisoo chuckles to herself. Remembers the gasps both her and Lisa had let out when they first saw what the speaker looked like. They both expected a middle aged lady, or a burly cop who ate donuts for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Certainly not the goddess who walked up on stage with a stack of papers and an expression that can't be called anything other than a resting bitch face.

Jisoo and Lisa (not for the first time) high fived and confirmed to themselves that they are indeed very very gay.

\------------------------------------------

After the press conference, they both decided to sit at a coffee shop and coordinate the information they gathered. Plan out which pictures to use, and also to have a late lunch.

Lisa sits in front of Jisoo. Quietly drinks her orange soda.

"So.." Jisoo begins. "You have a completely naked and completely dead lady in your bathtub."

Lisa flails around. Soda coming half out her mouth on a surprise spit take and half out the nose in panic. "Ohmygod." She whispers. Leans her body closer to Jisoo and attempts to stare her down. "It's a very realistic mannequin." She insists.

"Cool down, Lisa. There's no need to be so defensive." Jisoo replies.

Lisa sits properly. Continues staring at Jisoo with narrowed eyes. "You don't believe me." She states.

At that point, Jisoo has already zoned out. She heard Lisa's statement but she's focused on what she is seeing outside the window of the cafe they were sitting on.

There was a guy who is kicking around a stray black cat. Jisoo makes a mental note of his face.

Lisa also looks over. Frowns. "Fucking..what did that cat do to him?!" She says in indignation. "Dick. People who kick cats like that deserve a place in hell."

Jisoo smiles. Taps Lisa once on the hand that is resting on their table. "Hey." She calls.

Lisa looks up at her. "What?"

"I don't believe that's a mannequin."

Lisa sighs. Starts tearing up. "Shit.." Wipes her eyes with the table napkin. "Please don't tell on me. I'm not whoever that was who killed those two people the really hot D.A was talking about. I swear. I just..like to cook." She starts to explain in between sobs.

Jisoo stands up and pulls Lisa into a hug. Taps her back twice and whispers in her photographer friend's ear. "I won't tell on you, Lisa." She promises.

"Really?"

"Yup."

Lisa once again narrows her eyes. Yanks Jisoo closer when Jisoo tried to pull away. "Why?" Lisa repeats. Voice suddenly dangerous. Flavored with a threat of bad results if Jisoo says the wrong thing.

"The cops are mistaken." Jisoo says. Cuts a small wound into the arm Lisa was grabbing her with using the blades she kept in her hand.

Lisa flinches. Enough to let go of a smirking Jisoo and stares in wonder at the blood that's starting to seep through her wound.

"The murders aren't connected, Lisa." Jisoo whispers. "I know..because the guy in the apartment is my kill..but the one in the park..is not."


	12. WHAT ARE THE CHANCES?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here. We. Go.

Jennie looks over to her passenger who is quietly staring outside the window.

She thinks about starting a conversation but decides better against it considering what she heard this girl say two hours ago when they met at the bar.

_"We have reason to believe that the two murders are connected. These cases are the top priority for our police force and we are doing all we can to get the perpetrator of these heinous crimes off the streets. If anyone has any information about anything regarding the two victims, or the crimes themselves, you can call our tip hotline at 1-800-0805-801. Thank you very much."_

Says the voice from the radio broadcast that Jennie had turned on in order to fill the gaps in silence. 

"Hmm." Her passenger says. Nods twice. 

"Uhh.." Jennie starts. "You seem..troubled?" She asks.

The girl nods again. Distracted. "Guy in the park was my boyfriend." She offers.

Jennie hums in acknowledgment. "Sorry..uhh..Rosie right? I'm sorry for your loss, Rosie."

"Don't worry about it. I killed him because he's too chatty." Rosie answers. With the kind of straight face that would have scared the shit out of Jennie if she wasn't also in the business of killing people for reasons that are different from the girl she is with, but still reasons.

In this case, Jennie just purses her lips in an effort to stop the laughter bubbling in her throat. _What are the chances?_

Rosie shrugs. "Where are we going?" She asks.

"Uhh..I have an estate somewhere a bit secluded. I figure we can stay there to lie low for some time?" Jennie offers.

"Hmm. Okay."

"Aren't you afraid I'd rat you out?"

"I only wanted the guy in the bar to shut up. You stabbed him first. I can rat you out too."

Jennie nods in acknowledgement. "That makes sense." She acquiesces. "Do you need to get anything from where you're staying? Supplies and shit."

"Please." Was the simple answer.

"Okay. Just point out the directions I guess."

She gets another nod as a reply.

Jennie just shrugs and continues driving. _Something about this girl._ She thinks.

\----------------------------------------

Jennie looks around the apartment she's currently hanging out in. Absorbs the homely vibe and notes the aesthetics.

Pastel colors, quirky displays. An acoustic guitar that's on a stand next to the sofa she's sitting on, looking like it's frequently used and well loved. She makes a mental note to ask Rosie if she wants to bring it with them.

Rosie comes out of the bedroom at the end of the hallway that goes through the kitchen. A rucksack strapped to her back.

Jennie hears the footsteps behind her so she turns to look. Blinks at what she sees.

"I had to change into something more casual. Can't walk around with someone else's blood on me. It feels gross." Rosie explains. In what was possibly the longest sentence Jennie has ever heard her say in the few hours they have known each other.

"Uhh..okay." Jennie replies. Shakes her head to rid herself of the urge to claim.

Rosie goes to the kitchen area and opens the fridge. Looks inside and picks out some drinks to set on the kitchen counter. Jennie watches.

The situation is this: Jennie has a thing for skin.

And right now, with a simple pair of jean shorts and a crop top, her host Rosie, is showing so much skin that it's REALLY testing Jennie's resolve.

She blinks and blinks. Gulps. Pretends to look around the apartment more. All just so she will NOT do anything dumb. She wasn't kidding when she thought earlier that there's something about this one.

She wants to find out more before she makes any rash decisions. She has a feeling Rosie will not appreciate being just another one for her collection.

\----------------------------------------

"This estate of yours." Rosie starts.

"Hmm?" Jennie answers. Stares directly at the road. Restrains herself from so much as even glancing at the other's direction.

"Why do you live so far away?" Rosie asks.

Jennie just shrugs. Wonders briefly why she is willing to share right away instead of lying. Supposes that murdering someone together really lends itself to a nice bond that may even be called a tentative friendship. "I'm alone. And living far away makes for less unwanted attention."

"Hmm."

Silence overtakes them again. Jennie just continues driving. "You. Uhh..you don't mind if I turn on the radio?" She asks Rosie who just shrugs noncommittally.

So Jennie does. To a random channel that plays Kpop songs.

The car keeps chugging along.

It's an hour into their travels when Jennie notices that they're running a bit low on gas. Tsks to herself and just hopes what they have would bring them to the next gas station at least.

"There's a convenience store at the next gas station." Rosie says. "Are we stopping?"

"Uhh.." Jennie answers. "Yes?"

"Because I think we're almost out of gas."

"Yes. Yes we are."

"Okay."

\----------------------------------------

There's only two pumps.

Jennie knows this because this is the last gas station in the area and it's the furthest from the town. They have another two hour long drive before they get to where her grandfather's estate is and she informs Rosie this.

She just gets another nod and a finger pointed in the direction of the toilets. Jennie shrugs. Lets Rosie do her thing.

She watches her new friend walk to their destination. Unconsciously licking her lips. _So much skin._

There was another car occupying the other pump but no owner. Jennie figures they must be at the convenience store. Which prompted her to also go in there. Maybe grab a few snacks for the drive.

There was a trucker who steps out of the store at the same time Jennie walks up to the door. She wrinkles her nose at the man's smell. Thinks it would do everyone good if they outfitted long haul trucks like the one that guy is driving, with showers.

It's a fairly small store. A few shelves stacked with the standard convenience store fare. Chips, some canned food, some other groceries, and a wall of refrigerators filled with drinks.

She mentally checks if she has any alcohol stocked at the mansion. Decides to go buy a few more bottles so she makes a beeline for that.

There's two girls bickering at the other end of the refrigerator aisle. Loud enough that Jennie can't help but overhear.

"No, Lisa. You cannot fucking buy any more Peach Soju you're a fucking lightweight." One of them says.

"Go fuck yourself, Jisoo! If I can't buy my alcohol how come you can buy yours? It's not like you can outdrink me, you cry after two sips of freakin' beer!" The other one replies.

Jennie just shakes her head. Wishes she can be one of them. The type who only worries about who is the better drinker, the type who has friends.

But hey, maybe Rosie can be her friend? After all, they did kill a guy together.

"Yah!" One of the girls says to her friend. The black haired one. Jennie thinks that's probably the one called Jisoo. "Where's the guy who mans the counter?"

"Can't believe he'd just leave his store like that." The other one (Lisa?) replies.

"There was a trucker too. Guy stank like shit. Where'd he go?"

As if on cue, there was a scream from the direction of the toilets.

All three of them in the store jump. Looked at each other, and bolted for the doors.

Jennie noticed that one girl (Jisoo?) grabbing a pair of scissors from the arts and crafts aisle. The other one (Lisa?) made off with a hammer.

She pulls out the switchblade from her bra again and follows the others.


	13. OF TWO PSYCHOPATHS GOING ON A ROADTRIP

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The folks are off to the circus.

Lisa didn't even have time to think. Jisoo just grabbed her by her backpack and dragged her out the cafe for a brisk walk to the car. Stuffed her in the passenger seat and then set off to drive.

"What the hell?" She says. Still processing what Jisoo told her. "What the hell. Ohmygod. What the hell?"

Jisoo just nods along to her. "Yes."

"OHMYGOD YOU MURDERED YOUR NEIGHBOR! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!" Lisa screams. Thankfully, the car is moving so really there was no way anyone would have heard that outburst.

Jisoo suddenly hits the brakes.

Lisa (who forgot to put on a seatbelt) smashes her forehead into the dashboard with a grimace. "Ow.." She says.

"You strangled a random lady you don't even know, cut her open, gutted her, and then left her draining in your bathtub. Why would you do that?" Jisoo sarcastically asks Lisa.

Lisa hangs her head. Defeated. She takes in a couple of breaths and answers with the only reason she knows. "I like to cook. Also, I know that girl okay? I met her at that diner that's close to the police station."

"I'm so fucking glad you don't bring food for me..how many?"

"I don't know.." Lisa says. That's a lie. She knows.

"How long have you been doing this, Lisa?" Jisoo asks. With a calm voice. Taps the car's steering wheel while waiting for Lisa to answer.

Lisa shakes her head. "A while now." She admits.

"How long is a while?"

"About..two years?"

"Holy shit."

Lisa shakes her head. Swallows. Thinks about how Jisoo and her are both on even ground now. Fights back. "You haven't answered my question." She accused Jisoo.

"Your question about?"

"Why did you murder your neighbor?"

"He killed my dog."

"OHSHIT. HOLY SHIT."

"Hmm."

"Deserve."

"Hmm. How many, Lisa?" Jisoo asks again.

Lisa shrugs. "Should I be telling you this?" She asks. "You could be trying to just get information from me so you can turn me in to the police."

"I could also just be curious about your reasons. Because..what are the chances that we're in the same business?" Jisoo counters.

\-----------------------------------------

"Where are we even going?" Lisa complains. "We've been driving around for hours already and I'm hungry as fuck, Soo. Don't we have an article to be working on?"

"Hmm." Jisoo doesn't answer Lisa's questions.

"I know how to fight back, Soo." Lisa says. Trying to act tough. "I can turn this on you if you're thinking of doing what I think you're thinking of doing."

"Shut up." Jisoo says.

Lisa raises her hand to her chest in offense. "The audacity?!" She exclaims.

Jisoo brakes again. Lisa smashes her face into the dashboard again.

"Wear a seatbelt, Lisa." Jisoo requests with a shake of her head.

Lisa just taps her forehead. Over the bangs. "Don't, Jisoo." She warns.

Jisoo just winks. Continues to drive.

\-----------------------------------------

They come to a gas station and convenience store near the edge of town where they stop for gas and some time to stretch both their legs.

Lisa is still confused. Doesn't even know why she is still riding along to whatever Jisoo is planning with this spontaneous roadtrip.

"Where are we going?" She asks Jisoo again.

Jisoo just looks up from the gas pump she's staring at. Shrugs. "Did you know that there used to be a yearly circus that happens in this city?" She asks Lisa while lighting a cigarette.

"There is?" Lisa answers. Genuinely surprised.

Jisoo nods. "Yep." Points to the field that they are facing from the gas station. "There's some train tracks there. You know how it is. Anyway, the circus used to travel with that to this town for about a week, every year."

"Why'd they stop?"

"Don't know."

Lisa nods. Twists her legs around. "I gotta fucking pee." She says.

"Find a toilet. I'll wait for you at the convenience store." Jisoo answers. Stubs out her cigarette like it was an afterthought.

Lisa wondered how and why the hell Jisoo even lit one when they're at a gas station of all places.

She'll confront Jisoo about it later. First, she needs to find a toilet.

\-----------------------------------------

Lisa finishes her business quick. There's really no reason to stay in this comfort room any longer.

It smells worse than dead bodies in there (she'd know) and there's plenty of unmentionables everywhere. There's even a stain of something in one corner that's shaped like a person with a used hypodermic needle right next to it. Lisa thinks somebody might have overdosed.

She sputters in indignation over the sink. There's no running water so she can't even wash her hands. She kicks the wall in frustration. "Fucking..what?!" She complains to no one before deciding to just fuck it and wipe her hands all over Jisoo's face instead.

She opens the door and had to immediately sidestep in order to avoid running into the girl that was just about to walk in.

They stare at each other for a bit.

The girl raises an eyebrow.

Lisa is just mesmerized. _Wow she's SO pretty??_

The girl makes a gesture with her hand in the direction of the door Lisa is still holding. Which startles Lisa. "Oh! Shit! Uhhh..sorry..uhmm..okay..you can pass okay..Jesus..uhh..sorry.." She stutters. Makes for a step outside so she can let the other girl pass through.

Lisa ends up staring at the door after it closed for around thirty seconds. Wipes her face with her hand in embarrassment. "Dafuck was that, Lisa. You're usually so much more confident than that." She whispers to herself.

Realizes what she just did. "OH GODDAMMIT!" She yells.

\-----------------------------------------

"Psst! Soo!" Lisa calls.

"What?" Jisoo replies.

"Where are we going?"

"There's something I want to show you."

"Which is what exactly?"

"Call it my hideout?"

"Oooh. That's some supervillain type of shit. You have a lair? Cooooool."

"Are you sure you've been doing what you've been doing for a couple of years now?" Jisoo asks. "You don't seem like the type."

Lisa just shrugs. "I don't want to be one of those who are too obviously showing that there's something up with them." She explains. "Besides, this is me normally. I just happen to like to cook. What's so wrong with that?"

"Soooo many things.. Like what you're cooking for instance."

"Meh. Hey can we buy some drinks?" Lisa says before walking up to the refrigerators and picking out different alcohol options.

There's a girl who arrives at the same aisle. Lisa stares. _Damn. Is she the other one's friend? They're both so pretty. What?_ She thinks.

Jisoo grabs the bottle she's holding. "No, Lisa. You cannot fucking buy any more Peach Soju you're a fucking lightweight." She says.

"Go fuck yourself, Jisoo! If I can't buy my alcohol how come you can buy yours? It's not like you can outdrink me, you cry after two sips of freakin' beer!" Lisa complains.

They both see the other girl snicker. Lisa thinks she has a gummy smile. The type of cheeks you'd want to smush. _Cute._

Jisoo slaps Lisa upside the head (effectively knocking her out of her daydream) which just makes Lisa bristle in annoyance. She was about to yell at Jisoo and threaten violence but Jisoo glances at the counter and visibly contorts her face in confusion.

"What?" Lisa asks.

"Yah! Where's the guy who mans the counter?"

Lisa looks over at what Jisoo is talking about. Shrugs. "Can't believe he'd just leave his store like that." She replies.

"There was a trucker too. Guy stank like shit. Where'd he go?"

As if on cue, there was a scream from the direction of the toilets.

Both Lisa and Jisoo jump. Along with the girl who is with them in the store.

All three of them end up staring at each other for a couple of beats.

And then time starts again and they all rush for the doors.

Lisa would remember (much much later) that both her and Jisoo grabbed something from the shelves as 'weapons.'

But the other girl that was with them just pulled a knife out of her bra.

_Hot._


	14. REST STOP MURDERS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The timeline is slowly coming together, their orbits are slowly pulling closer.

"You can walk if you don't want to squeeze in." Yerim says to her sister who is just frowning at the inside of her (white) van.

"There's still room in here, Irene." Seungwan says with a smile. Taps Sooyoung twice on the legs so she can bend her legs and make some space.

"Can't I sit in front?" Irene asks Yerim.

"Nope. Front seat is saved for my favorite cleaning bucket." Yerim replies.

"Ugh." Irene says. Climbs into the van and slaps Seulgi in the face so she can sit next to her.

"Fucking bitch." Seulgi complains. Irene just slaps her again with a provoking grin.

Sooyoung closes the door of the van. "Don't we have windows here, Yeri?" She asks. "It smells like cleaning agents."

"There's a window above Seungwan's head." Yeri answers . Adjusting the driver's seat.

Seungwan opens the window. Frowns. "There's nothing here." She says.

"Yeah I covered it with the decal of my company. Neat right?" Yeri said.

"Fucking shit." Sooyoung comments. Covers her mouth with a handkerchief she got from her pocket.

"You guys comfy back there?" Yeri asks.

"We're all on the floor." Seulgi replies. Deadpan.

Yeri just shrugs. "Let's go get ourselves a dead body!" She yells.

\---------------------------------

They stumble out of Yeri's van with various noises of complaint.

Seungwan rubbing her pelvis, Irene rubbing the part of her head that she hit against a metal shelf after a particularly rough turn (Yerim is SUCH a shit driver), Seulgi massaging her aching back, and Sooyoung coughing from the smell of the inside of the car.

Yeri is the only one smiling. "How was it?" She asks the group. "Neat right? I'll get seats for that when I figure out how to make them fit with the other stuff."

Every single one of her friends give her the middle finger before walking off.

Yeri shrugs. "Ungrateful old people." She mumbles.

\---------------------------------

"Seems straightforward." Seulgi says.

Irene whimpers from her spot smushed in Seulgi's hug.

"I don't think so." Seungwan comments. Squats down to look at the body that's lying face down on the ground next to a dumpster. "This guy's nose is broken."

"Yeah. Coz he got ran over by a fucking car." Sooyoung states. Points to the guy's back. "Tire tracks all up his clothes."

"Can we roll him over at least?" Yeri asks. "Coz if the tire tracks are on the back of his shirt then that just means he was already facedown when he got ran over. Amirite?"

Irene tugs on Seulgi's shirt. Whispers something inaudible.

"Huh?" Seulgi says. "Speak up please."

Irene raises her head. Enough for her to be able to look up at Seulgi.

They both dismiss the strangely intimate position. This is work for them.

"I said.." Irene clears her throat. "The guy has a stab wound."

"Huh?" Seungwan asks. "Where?"

Irene blinks. Shakes her head when Seulgi raised an eyebrow at her in amusement. "Seungwan's asking where." Seulgi says. Nodding at Irene encouragingly.

So Irene steels her resolve and turns around. Keeps her eyes half open and just points. "In the head. There's a hole in his head, don't you see the blood?"

Sooyoung spins around in circles where she's standing. Hands both up in the air. "WHERE?!" She screams.

Irene just points more aggressively. "THERE!" She also yells.

Yerim just tsks. "Jesus. Y'all are the most incompetent detectives?" She said. Points to a spot next to the dead man. "THERE!"

Everyone looks and sure enough there was a massive puddle of blood next to dumpster.

"Huh." Seungwan says with a chuckle. "Didn't see that."

"This is a sketchy place." Seulgi says. "How do we know that blood's from this guy?" She asks.

"We can get a sample easy enough." Sooyoung replies. Puts down her crime scene kit. "You need a control area, Seungwan?" She asks.

"Yes please. Let's see what we can get from this guy before my collection team arrives."

\---------------------------------

"He's a trucker." Irene says. Looking through the driver's license she picked up from the counter of the convenience store she was tasked to look into.

"Huh?" Seulgi says from the back office where she's rifling through things and checking for anything that may be of note.

Irene walks in. "I sai--OHSHIT!" Trips over a box that's lying around, lands right into Seulgi who just turned around at the sound of her voice and caught her before she faceplanted on the floor.

"Jesus, lady." Seulgi complains. "If you wanted a hug you could have just asked. What's got you so thirsty?"

Irene punches her in the face with the hand that's holding the license she picked up. "Dick." She says.

Seulgi just chuckles. Stands up (Irene packs a wallop. She went straight to the floor for that one.) and flicks Irene in the forehead. "You were saying?"

"I was saying that the guy is a trucker." Irene repeats. "I found this lying at the counter. Next to a pack of cigarettes."

"Hmm." Seulgi pulls out a bag for evidence from her pocket. Gestures for Irene to drop the license inside and when the other one was finished doing that, she seals it up and pockets the whole thing. "We can look into that when we get back to the office." She states.

Irene nods. Turns around to go out the door.

Which is closed. She tries to open it. Doesn't work. She tries again. Still no dice.

"Oh fucking hell." She says.

"Oh are we locked in?" Seulgi asks. "That's probably why that box you tripped on was propped up against the door."

"Shit." Irene pats all her pockets for her phone. Slaps herself in the forehead. "I left my phone with Yerim. You don't happen to have yours do you?"

Seulgi pulls out her phone from her pocket. Waves it in front of Irene's face. "Died on me because someone didn't give me time to charge it before coming here." She explains.

"I am amazed at the level of preparation you took." Irene comments.

"I have a condom in my pocket, at least I'm prepared for that." Seulgi jokes. Couples it with a lewd grin and eyebrows going up and down.

Irene rolls her eyes. Picks up the box that she tripped on and throws it at Seulgi's face. Chuckles at the "OOF!" and the way Seulgi steps backwards and hits the table behind her with her hip.

"You're such a fucking bitch." Seulgi complains. Rubbing her hip. "I was only joking goddammit."

"Hmm." Irene replies. Proceeds to bang on the door. "YAH! YERIM! WE'RE LOCKED IN THE OFFICE! SOMEBODY HELP!" She screams.

"If you put half the energy of that scream to the sort of noises you make in bed, you'd be a dream." Seulgi says.

Irene whirls around on Seulgi and just shoves her. "DO. YOU. NOT. THINK. WITH. ANYTHING. OTHER. THAN. YOUR. DICK?!" A punch on Seulgi's chest for every word.

Seulgi catches her hand at the last word. "I do. Sometimes I think about your O face. Not gonna lie..that's hot."

"I FUCKING HATE YOU!"

Seulgi just chuckles. Flicks Irene's forehead again and turns around to fiddle with the computer that's set up on the office table. "Whatever mahn. It's gonna be a while before any of those three come looking. Make yourself comfortable. I'm gonna check if there's CCTV footage of the incident."

"Fat chance you'd find any." Irene says.

"Tsk tsk. You're such a pessimist."

"Just realistic. Look at the floor. There's a bunch of cut wires and the computer's smashed."

Seulgi looks. There are a bunch of wires on the floor. "How in the world?!" The computer really is smashed to pieces.

"Yeah I see things." Irene says. "I'm not completely useless you know."

"Hmm."

"The least you can do is say thank you."

"Meh."

"Asshole."

\---------------------------------

"Hey do you think this place has a toilet?" Sooyoung asks Seungwan who's busy collecting fibers and other things from around the dead body.

"Huh?" Seungwan replies.

"Toilets. You think this place has them?" Sooyoung repeats.

Seungwan shrugs. "I mean..probably? This is a sort of rest stop sooooo.."

"You wanna bet the things you'd find in the toilets here are worse than the dead man?" Yeri asks.

"I.." Sooyoung starts. Pointing at Yeri. "Do not want to take that bet." Before walking off towards the toilets.

"Boooooooo!" Yeri calls at her retreating figure.

"What the..Yerim get out of here!" Seungwan yells. Pushes at Yeri's legs that were in the way of her so called 'control area.'

"You guys are lame." Yeri complains.

"YAH! YERIM! WE'RE LOCKED IN THE OFFICE! SOMEBODY HELP!"

They hear Irene's yell from inside the store.

"That's some classic fanfiction trope right there." Seungwan comments. Takes a photo of a shoe impression that's on the dirt next to the dumpster where the dead guy is.

"You think we should let them out?" Yeri asks.

Seungwan shrugs. "Let them stay in there until I'm done. Their bickering is distracting."

"That's true."

"OH GODDAMMIT!" They hear Sooyoung scream from inside the comfort room. "THERE'S ANOTHER DEAD BODY IN HERE THAT'S TWO FOR TWO ON CRIME SCENE TOILETS ALREADY AND IT'S NOT EVEN LUNCHTIME YET!!"


	15. IN YOUR AREA

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The OT4 have assembled.

Rosie really needs to stay away from public toilets.

In her defense, she thought she can get the whole thing over with as quietly as possible.

She was washing her hands when he walked in. (the faucet furthest from the door was the only working one) As usual for her, she decided to ignore him. But the man walked up to her and boxed her in. Put his lips up to her ear and whispered: "How do you want it?" With a grope to her chest.

She tried to push him back but he resisted. Rosie gags at his smell. 

She looks around for something to use as a weapon. Grabs the metal faucet and breaks it off the sink. She swung it as hard as she could and connects to the guy's head.

He stumbles back and Rosie tries to run for it. He grabs her and shoves her to the wall. Hard enough that the breath just wooshes out of her. He grabs her hair and hits her head against the wall to try and knock her out.

Not gonna lie, that seems to be working. Rosie can feel her vision spin.

The man starts to grope her when he sensed her being out of it.

Rosie weakly tried to push him off but he resists and snarls in anger at her uncooperativeness so he pushes her down to kneel on the floor and punches her in the face.

Weirdly enough, that seemed to have woken her up instead of getting her more dizzy again. So she tries to reach for the metal faucet again but he pulls her by the hair and holds her in place with one hand. Starts to undo his belt with the other one. "Here, girlie..I'll show you what you need to do." He says. With a grin that shows his disgusting yellowed teeth.

Rosie shoves his legs as leverage to get away. He just pulls at her hair harder.

She does not like screaming. Hates anything loud. But she knows she needs to BE loud if she has any chances of getting out of this. So she does. She screams.

Earns herself another punch to the face. The man shoves her to lie down on the floor and gets on top of her. Grabs at her hands and holds them down. Rosie still resists. Kicks at anything she can reach. The man grunts, stands up, and stomps on her left leg. Which prompts another scream out of Rosie, this time of pain.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" The man yells. "JUST TAKE IT LIKE A LITTLE BITCH!"

"YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP!" A voice yells from the door of the restroom before the man flies off of Rosie and hits the wall that has the weird stain on it.

Someone comes up to Rosie right away. "Uh. Hi. I'm Lisa." They say with a wave and a smile. "I hope you're alright. Uhmm..I'll get back to you yeah? Just.." Raises a finger as a gesture for one minute and then leaves to walk up to the man.

Who is getting repeatedly stabbed in the chest by a black haired girl with a pair of scissors.

Rosie stares. Watches Lisa come up to the stabby one and tap her on the shoulder.

The black haired girl stands up straight. Runs a bloody hand through her hair and breathes heavily. "Fucking..rapist. Jesus christ." They swear. Blinks. And then stabs the guy in the chest again. "Special place in hell for you." She spits on the man.

"Yahhhhhhh." Lisa says. "Overkill dude."

The man coughs up some blood.

Lisa blinks. "Check on the lady." She tells black haired girl. "I'll finish him off." Flips the hammer she's holding twice and then gets to work.

The black haired girl turns around to face Rosie.

They both gasp.

"Oh goddammit." Black hair says. Turns so red she's purple and then nods her head at Rosie all awkward like. "Hi."

Rosie gets up from the floor. Sorts her disheveled clothes up and then walks up to her.

They shake hands amidst the sound of cracking bones from whatever Lisa was doing to the guy in one corner of the toilet.

"Since when have you been hanging out in places like these, Chaeyoung?"

"I don't know. Since when have you been so stabby, Jisoo?"

There was a squelch from the corner. They both look.

"You guys know each other?" Lisa asks them. Trying to pull out her hammer from where it's stuck in the guy's skull cap.

Jisoo and Rosie both shrug.

The door opens again.

"Hey I got sidetracked. What did I miss?" Jennie asks as soon as she walks in.

Covered in blood and hair a wild mess.

"Not much." Rosie replies. "What happened to you?"

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jennie wanted to go help. She really did. The other two were just walking ahead of her so they got there first.

She really did get sidetracked though. She saw the trucker doing something in the trailer of his parked truck and heard a howl of pain from what sounded like a dog so she went to investigate.

And finds the guy beating up a white cocker spaniel that's trying to desperately cower away from him to a cage that has another dog covered in a blanket.

Not gonna lie, Jennie saw red.

She tsks and taps the guy in the shoulder. Trying to be polite. "Sir?" She asks him.

The man turns around to glare at her. Aims another punch at the dog before talking. "What do you want?" He replies. Stares her up and down and nods appreciatively. Licks his lips in a way that he probably thinks is attractive but is just disgusting as hell to Jennie.

Jennie grips the knife in her hand tighter.

"What are you doing?" She asks the man.

"Teaching some scum a lesson." He answers. Punches the dog again who just whimpers.

"Hmm."

The trucker nods. Moves to push the dog further into the trailer and makes to grab at Jennie who dodges him relatively quickly.

"Come on, girl." He says. "Why else would you come up to me looking like that if you're not asking for some cock?"

"Eew?" Jennie replies. Points to the dogs. "I'm more interested in what you're gonna do with them than I am with you."

"They're being sold. There's a dog fighting ring in the next town. Gonna get good money out of these three. Just gotta rough 'em up first so they're used to the pain." The man explains. "But let's not talk about that. Come on." He does hip thrusts. He actually does hip thrusts. Jennie had to laugh at the ridiculousness of this guy's mind. _Does he really think I'm going to sleep with him?_

"Fuck me." He says.

"Yeah..no." Jennie says. Reveals the knife she's hiding behind her. "I can fuck you up though."

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Wow." Rosie says. Stares at the state of the trucker Jennie had led them to after introducing herself and explaining what happened.

Lisa steps out of the washroom. Leans over the unconscious man and wipes the hammer on his shirt. "Now what?" She asks after straightening up.

Jennie shrugs. "I was thinking we can just leave him here to bleed to death. Won't take long..I've made a decent sized hole in his head."

There was a bark from behind them. They all turn to look.

A very happy dog running straight to Rosie and jumping up and down to paw at her legs.

And then a very angry Jisoo charging to the tied up trucker, grabbing him by the hair, and then smashing his whole (already bleeding) head against the dumpster.

"Jisoos!" Lisa screams.

Jennie chuckles. _What the fuck is a Jisoos?_

It takes about a minute or two of them just listening to the crunch of skull against metal before Rosie steps up and pats Jisoo's arm.

Lisa raises an eyebrow at the way Jisoo visibly deflates with an audible sigh and weakly kicks at the limp man's legs.

"Hmm." Jennie says.

The dog barks again. Rosie picks him up to cuddle against her chest.

"Two for two!" Lisa cheerfully yells. Startling all of them. "We're like the Avengers except for killing people. Like..Murderers Assemble! WOO! OT4!"

Rosie puts down the dog with a dark look in her face. "Too. Loud." She whispers.

Jennie grabs Rosie and drags her away from the ruckus and into the store. Best to not go and add another body, she's pretty sure Rosie's willing to go for three. The happy dog just followed them.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What the fuck was that all about?" Jisoo says to herself. Shaking her head.

Lisa shrugs. "Those two are HOT. Soo. Those girls are BANGING. HOLYSHIT. And you know one of them? Wow. Wow."

"Hmm."

"Why can't you be more enthusiastic?"

"Don't know. There's a couple more dogs in the trailer. I just let them out of their cage and gave them some water. We have to figure out what to do with them."

"We can take them with us to your super secret ultra hidden supervillain lair."

Jisoo raises an eyebrow at Lisa. Thinks about how in the hell does a person like this, with an overly childish and happy personality, even end up as a serial killer with a fucked up M.O.

Chaeyoung and Jennie step out of the store with a pushcart worth of things.

Jisoo raises an eyebrow at the happy dog sitting in the child seat of the cart with a happily wagging tail.

"Rosie and I took care of the CCTVs." Jennie says. "None of them were actually even working but it doesn't hurt to be extra careful. Smashed up the PC too."

"And then robbed the place?" Lisa asks with wonder in her voice. Pointing to the pushcart.

Jennie shrugs. "Might as well. There's nothing decent in there except for the alcohol."

"We can split it." Chaeyoung suggests.

"I'm surprised you're not inviting us to come with you guys." Jisoo mentions.

"We don't think you'd be up for it."

"Hmm."

"We're going to Jisoo's ultra secret super hidden supervillain lair!" Lisa announces. Like the place is Disneyland and she's going on a family trip. "You guys can come with us!"

Jisoo sees Chaeyoung breathe deep. Digs into her pocket and offers a pair of earphones to her. "Here. If you're coming with..you'll need these. Lisa can be loud." She explains.

Chaeyoung smiles at her. Jisoo just screams internally.

"We're supposed to be going to my grandpa's estate." Jennie says. "But we can detour if Rosie's up for it." Looks over at Rosie who's busy scrolling through her phone for some proper music.

"LET'S GO LET'S GO LET'S GO!" Lisa yells.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I DIDN'T KNOW THAT GUY WAS STILL ALIVE!" Lisa reasons.

The situation is this: They get into their cars and prepared to travel to wherever it is they're travelling to.

Except the trucker guy woke up and chased them.

Lisa (who Jisoo threatened into driver duty) reversed right into him and rolled over the man.

So now they're all back and standing over the (now confirmed) truly dead body who is just lying out in the open next to the gas pumps.

"Should we move him?" Jennie asks. "They'll find him faster if he's out here."

"Leave it." Rosie says. "No one passes by here. We'll be far away before they find him."

Jisoo shrugs. Blinks twice and slaps herself in the forehead. "What about the dogs?"

Jennie mirrors her. "Ohshit. Yeah. The dogs."

"Let's just take them with us! One of them's attached to Rosie anyway!" Lisa suggests.

Rosie tsks. Pointedly adjusts the volume for her earphones.

"Pipe the fuck down, Lisa." Jisoo warns. Before walking off to the truck and coaxing the other two dogs out of it. Herds them to the group. "Let's get out of here before anyone comes by."

"Lead the way then." Rosie says. "I wanna see this super secret ultra hidden supervillain lair of yours."


	16. THE CALM BEFORE ANOTHER STORM

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A month had passed and peace is an illusion.
> 
> Also, say hi to a new link. Because nothing is that simple here.

"I need a report on the Hwang case." Seulgi greets as soon as she opens the door to Irene's office. 

Only to find the D.A sleeping head down on her desk, on top of a pile of case files.

She blinks. Walks up to Irene and taps her on her shoulder. "Yah!" She calls.

Irene startles awake. "Huh? What?" She says.

Seulgi laughs. "What the fuck?"

Irene just rubs her eyes. "Fuck you. What do you want?" She replies.

"I said I need the reports for the Hwang case." Seulgi repeats. 

Irene just nods. "Hang on then. Let me find it." Looks around her messy desk and starts to flip some papers around.

Seulgi sighs. Doesn't want to seem like a wimp who cares but her conscience won't let her. "Are you alright?" She asks Irene.

"No." Irene replies. Deadpan. Still tossing around papers. "I'm neck deep in gruesome crime scenes from your team, drug busts from Tzuyu's team, abused animals from Sunmi's squad, and petty crimes from Eunae's beat cop team. That nap was the first decent amount of sleep I've had in a month and I'll never forgive you for ruining it. Also, why the hell does every single one of the ladies you slept with in this police department made it a thing to make my life hell?"

Seulgi shrugs. "They probably noticed you're the only one I go to now." She jokes.

"Eew. Start sleeping with Summi again and leave me alone. Tell her to stop sending me photos of dead animals while you're at it coz that shit's traumatizing."

"Hmm." Seulgi notices a folder. Points to it. "That's gone cold. What are you still on it for?" She asks Irene who looks over at the folder Seulgi is pointing at and shrugs.

"I feel like there's something more to it." Irene replies after reading the label on the folder.

"Hmm."

"That, along with the others from that day. I've a feeling they're all connected but not really."

Seulgi goes and sits at the edge of Irene's desk. "None of the leads we had panned out."

"Have you checked out that Park Chaeyoung girl who was the Park Chanyeol guy's girlfriend?"

"Yup. We had Seungwan call her when we couldn't find her at the apartment she shared with the victim. We even talked to her during the guy's funeral."

"How'd that go?"

"She said she skipped town the first couple of days after she found out he died. Something about how she needed to deal. Looked plenty sad at the funeral too. Fuck. She was the only family the guy has. Apparently he was an orphan."

"Hmm..what about the guy from apartment 405?" Irene asks.

"Family refused an autopsy on him." Seulgi answers. "Had him cremated and bolted with the ashes right away. Said whatever happened to him, he probably deserved it since he was a drugged up waste of oxygen anyway."

"Harsh."

"It is what it is."

"The trucker and the shopkeeper?"

"The trucker was wanted for a crap ton of felonies. Not including animal cruelty charges. He was a ring leader for that dog fighting ring Sunmi's team busted a week after we found him."

"Hmm."

"The shopkeeper was a serial rapist. Confirmed it when Seungwan cross referenced and found his prints in the sex offender registry."

"How about that guy from the club?"

"That one..is the mystery. But his family also just went and quietly claimed his body before we can do anything about it. He's a politician's son. It's actually surpring how the news hasn't gotten out yet but I guess that's what having power affords you."

"Sure." Irene says. Triumphantly pulls out the file she was looking for from underneath a whole stack of other things inside her in tray. "Found it." She announces. Hands over the folder to Seulgi and shoos her away. "Now leave. I'm gonna try and continue that nap."

Seulgi takes the file. Slaps Irene up the head with it. "Thanks, bitch." She says.

"Sure, asshole. Lock the door behind you."

Seulgi was about to leave. She really was. But then she sees Irene run a hand through her hair and couldn't resist. "Want me to help you relax?" She offers.

Irene blinks at her. "What like..right now?" She confusedly says.

Seulgi shrugs. "Why not?"

"We're at work."

"So? Your office is pretty secluded and no one even comes by here. You know..coz you're the D.A bitch everyone doesn't want to deal with unless absolutely necessary."

"Must you be so cruel with your words?" Irene jokes.

"Do you want to have sex or not?"

Irene stares at her desk that's piled high with all kinds of folders for cases she has to work on. Thinks of the pros and cons of taking a few minutes to deal with an itch that one off hand offer had awakened in her. Shrugs. 

"Come here." She says to Seulgi.

\------------------------------------------------------------

"What are the chances that except for Park guy, every single one of those cases has the possibility that they were all self defense?" Seungwan asks Sooyoung. 

"I have a question for you too." Sooyoung replies. 

"Hmm?"

"Do you talk like this to other people when you're having sex?" 

Seungwan sputters.

"YAH!" Sooyoung complains. "I'm already plenty wet down there, why'd you have to spit?!"

"I'm sorry." Seungwan says. Taps Sooyoung twice on each thigh. "I was just surprised with the question."

"I asked coz I wondered. You're around naked dead bodies all the time and none of them do anything when you touch them. Made me think you're craving conversation."

"Don't make it sound like I'm into necrophilia. Come on. Don't be gross."

"I'm just saying."

"How about we just get back into it?" Seungwan offers. 

"You better take me somewhere fancy tonight, Son Seungwan." Sooyoung threatens. "Or else I'll definitely report you. Autopsy tables should not be used for this purpose."

\------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm surrounded by sex addicts." Yeri says. Drinks her pint of beer. 

Her companion just nods. 

"I mean..it's like something clicked with those guys after we found five bodies in one day about a month ago." She continues.

"Mhmm." Her companion offers as reaction.

"They never found who did it." Yeri said. Drinks again. "But they all think there's something else in there that they're missing so they're all fixated. Hell, even I am. The crime scenes were messy as fuck and there's plenty of evidence for everything but we can't pin it on anyone."

"Sure."

"And since they're all stressed out over that and other things on their plate, they all decided to somehow ease the stress by banging each other?"

"Everyone has an addiction." Yeri's companion says with a shrug.

"I suppose." Yeri answers.

Her phone rings. She goes to pick up the call after signalling one minute to her friend. 

"Yes? Whoa really? And you're letting me tag along? Nice. Okay. I have seats in my van now! Sure okay! Roadtrip!" Yeri cheerfully says. Pockets her phone after the call and stands up. 

"Off on another adventure?" Her companion asks.

Yeri nods. "They found a body and they think it's connected to the others from the day of the dead." She explains. Putting on her jacket. "They could be wrong..but I think the serial killer from then is moving again."

"Okay. Have fun then. Your drinks are on me."

"Neat. Thanks, burger lady. What was your name again? I forgot after the fifth pint."

The girl Yeri was talking to just laughs and tells Yeri her name. "I'll catch you later, Yerim. Talk to me if you feel like it, I'm here at the diner all the time."

Yeri fistpumps. "Sure thing, burger lady. Sure thing. I'll see you later!"


	17. CONNECTIONS, COLLECTIONS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Backstory time.

"How often?" Jennie asked Lisa. Offering the other girl a newly opened bottle of beer. 

Lisa accepts the drink with a smile. Taps the spot next to her as an invitation for Jennie to sit. "I don't know..four months in between?" She replies as soon as Jennie sat down.

"So six." Jisoo says. "You've been at this two years." Takes a long swig from her drink of choice. "Your body count is six."

Lisa shrugs.

Rosie pokes the embers of their campfire. 

They all stare at the sparks. 

"I don't know why I suddenly had that urge." Lisa continues. "It's like I woke up one day and my brain was yelling at me to kill."

"Hmm." Jennie says. "You must have a theory."

"I do. But I don't know if it would make sense."

Jisoo opens another bottle of soju. Continues drinking. "I know what triggered me." She offers. "Something about how I want them to feel the same way all those animals felt..how Dalgom felt. Seemed unfair to me that only the animals had to suffer."

"Seems like a good enough reason." Jennie replies. "It doesn't really cancel out what they did wrong but at least you're disposing of the trash."

"Right? I'm at 5 now. Four of them are around this area. If you look hard enough."

Lisa breathes deep. Taps her knees and then raises her pant legs. 

Rosie just blinks. Everyone else gasps.

"I figured in a pretty bad car accident during my last year in college." Lisa explains with a grimace. "Could have been all good except..well..I was studying Dance at a performance arts school."

"Holy shit." Jisoo says.

Lisa laughs bitterly. "Yup. I lost everything when I lost both my legs. It was either these plastic things or I'm not walking ever again. I figured why not?"

"Damn son." Jennie said. Raises her bottle at Lisa's direction before drinking.

"I hit my head pretty bad. Must be what messed with my brain too. I don't know. All I know is I was in a coma for six months and the first thing I did after getting discharged from the hospital..was follow my brain. My first was a sex worker I picked up. The neighbors said I make a mean Pad Thai. I don't have dance anymore but I'm good at cooking. Might as well." Lisa finishes her story with a shrug.

"Shit." 

Rosie tsks. Unplugs the earphones she's using from her cellphone that's apparently already out of juice. 

Jisoo takes out her phone from her pocket and offers it to Rosie who just shakes her head and then leaves to go inside the abandoned circus train car that's behind them.

Jisoo shrugs. Pockets her phone again.

Jennie clears her throat. "You know each other?" She asks.

Lisa covers her legs again. Nods. "I have the same question."

Jisoo shrugs again. Picks up the poker and plays with the fire the same way Rosie had been doing before. "Yeah." Is her curt response.

"Oh come on." Jennie complains. "You must have something other than that."

"Tell us your story and I'll tell more of mine." Jisoo challenges.

Jennie laughs. "Fine." She said. "But there's really nothing much to it. I lost both parents when I was young. Lost my caretakers when I was young. Got caught up in some very interesting books from my taxidermist grandpa's library. I get lonely every once in a while. Seven since I started..two I got to keep. I JUST perfected the process." 

Both Lisa and Jisoo just blink at her. 

"Taxi.." Lisa whispers.

"Dermy." Jisoo adds.

Jennie nods. "The other five fell apart before I could do anything decent with them." She explains. "They're mostly chilling in the forest that's part of my grandpa's property. Same way Jisoo's four are around this train car."

"Holy." Jisoo whispers.

"Shit." Lisa adds.

Rosie comes back to the campfire with more drinks. Sets one for each of them. Quietly takes back the poker from Jisoo and continues to play with the fire.

"Chaeng?" Jisoo asks her.

"Two." Rosie curtly replies. "Chanyeol and one guy who yelled at me in the club I met Jennie at."

"How do you two know each other?!" Lisa suddenly asks.

Rosie throws the poker at Lisa. 

"Ohshit." Jennie says. Pulls out the poker from where it got stuck in one of Lisa's legs.

"Too. Loud." Rosie whispers. 

"I'm..sorry?" Lisa says. Cowering behind Jennie.

"Chaeyoung." Jisoo says again.

"What, Jisoo?" Rosie replies. Irritated. Not in the mood for any conversation.

"What happened to you?"

"I don't know."

"Bullshit you don't know."

Jennie and Lisa just watch. Both tense. Anticipating a moment where they may need to intervene.

"You tell me then. If you're so convinced I'm lying." Rosie challenges.

Jisoo sighs. Runs a hand through her hair. "I wish you'd talk about what's in your mind."

"Fat chance."

"Okay."

All four of them continue drinking. Well into the night. 

Jennie coughs after a few hours. Looks up at the sky and nods. "As much as I had fun at this drinking session here at Jisoo's super secret ultra hidden supervillain lair..I think we all need rest." She says. "Been a long day..I've got room at my place. We can crash like we originally planned."

\------------------------------------------------------------

**ONE MONTH LATER**

"There has to be something that came up since then." Jisoo prompts the receptionist at the police station. 

They shake their head at her. "I have nothing." They reply. "We have nothing. Those cases have gone cold. I don't even know why you're still after the scoop."

"My editor has been hounding my ass." Jisoo offers as an explanation.

"You'd be better off speaking to the detectives handling the case. Park and Kang. They're around here somewhere."

"Hmm." Jisoo feels her phone vibrate from her pocket. Looks at it to find a text from Lisa. She nods. "I'll be back soon." She tells the receptionist before leaving.

"You won't get anything no matter how many times you go back!" The receptionist yells behind her.

\------------------------------------------------------------

"I followed the guy like you asked." Lisa said as soon as Jisoo sat down in one of the corner tables at a coffee shop they frequent. 

"How'd you do it?" Jisoo asks. 

"Photowalks are a thing. I just worked it around him." 

"Hmm."

"He has a pretty set routine. Apparently lives at the building we saw him in front of."

"Did you manage?"

"I did manage to follow him up once. Third floor. Door 36. I didn't go any further."

"Thanks, Lisa."

"No problem, Soo."

They drink their coffees in silence. 

"Did you find any information?" Lisa asks Jisoo.

"The ones from last month..they all went cold. We're clear for now." Jisoo replies. "Just have to be more careful so it stays that way."

"I don't know about you..but..I think I'm alright." Lisa jokes.

"There's so many other ways to hide a body, Lisa."

"Mine works for me, Jisoo."

\------------------------------------------------------------

"You're here again." Rosie says to the girl she found outside her front door.

Jennie grins. "I'm trying to get you to socialize and talk more. Be less suspicious that way. If you keep locking yourself up in here, people would start to think." She explains. Letting herself into the apartment.

Rosie sighs. "The last person who got close and talked too much around me choked on a cactus spine. Aren't you scared I'd do the same to you?"

Jennie just shrugs. "You can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm one of the three people who understands you."

"Hmm."

\------------------------------------------------------------

Jennie's phone pings. They both look at it.

Rosie just mindlessly changes the channel on the TV to Animal Planet.

"Jisoo just texted." Jennie informs. "An invitation for drinks."

Rosie hums. 

"How do you two know each other?" Jennie prompts.

Rosie shrugs. "Jisoo was a campus journalist in the same university I studied at." Is all she offers as explanation.

"Hmm."

\------------------------------------------------------------

"Park..Chaeyoung." Jisoo says. Drinks from her soju bottle. "She was that girl back in college. The girl everyone either had a crush on..or wanted to be."

Lisa nods. "Damn. Okay. I get what you mean." Toasts with Jisoo. "I suppose you're on the first group?" She jokes.

Jisoo throws a piece of calamari at Lisa's face. Rips apart a piece of tissue. "Yes." She whisper answers. 

"Knew it. Same though."

"She fucking hates you."

"How'd you know that? Not like you guys talk."

"Wanna know where I met her?"

"Where?"

"I met her at the library. She hates loud. And you're loud as fuck. Ergo, she hates you."

"I'm gonna charm the pants off her, Jisoo. Just you watch. I'm gonna charm the pants off of her."

"Yeah..okay. Goodluck with that, Lisa. Goodluck with that."

"Bro talk though..don't get in the way."

"What are you gonna do if I did? Turn me into lasagna?"

"Oh fuck off."

\------------------------------------------------------------

"Wearing earphones at a club seems pretty dumb." Jennie observes. "It's not like there's a music shortage."

Rosie just looks around the club they walked into. Spots Lisa waving at them from a table that's further to the right of the dance floor.

Jennie just follows Rosie who goes straight there. 

Jisoo nods at her and Rosie as a greeting. Lisa cheerfully bellows out a "heeeeeey!" and a wave.

Jennie waves back at everyone and slips into a seat. Grabs the drinks menu and starts to look into what she can order. 

"This place makes the best Tequila Sunrise." Lisa says. 

"They do huh?" Jennie answers with a chuckle.

"Yup. It's what I was drunk on when I crashed my car." 

"Is that supposed to not bum us out oooor?"

Lisa shrugs. "Consider it as a glowing review." She says with a grin.

"Okay?"

"Chaeng is going for a beer?" Jisoo asks. 

Rosie nods. 

"Alright then."

Jennie raises her hand for a waiter and orders everyone's drinks. 

\------------------------------------------------------------

"So." Jennie starts. "What have we been up to since we last saw each other?" She asks the group as soon as their drinks arrive.

They all answer with shrugs.

"I've been busy trying to write news pieces for the murders last month." Jisoo says with a chuckle. "I have to admit..it gets hard acting like I don't have any idea about the details."

"I do see your name often in that one newspaper." Jennie comments. "Looking more and more like opinion pieces those reports."

"I'm being careful still if that's what you're worried about. The last thing I want is for anyone to be implicated." Said with a glance in Rosie's direction.

"Hmm."

"I've been going on photowalks." Lisa supplies. "There's a contest thing I want to join. If I win I get to fly somewhere else and be included in an exhibit."

"Sounds neat." Jennie says.

"It is. I just hope I don't slip up if ever I do get to go somewhere else."

"Hmm." Rosie offers.

"Opinion!" Lisa cheers. "I'll take it!"

Rosie stabs Lisa's knee with the fork. 

"Can you please don't do that?" Lisa requests. "I don't have any money for materials to fill in the holes you made in my prosthetics."

"Think of them as like really cool scars." Jisoo jokes.

"Stop being so fucking loud." Rosie complains.

"This is my normal voice!" Lisa replies.

"Your normal voice cuts through my earphones and the club music. Inside voice is a thing."

"Teach me sometime." Lisa says with a sleazy grin.

Rosie breaks a plate over her head.

\------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey. Look at me." Jisoo prompts.

Rosie puffs out smoke from the cigarette they're sharing. "What?" Returns the stick to Jisoo.

"Lisa is a friend. She's loud but she'll have your back if you need her." 

"Sure."

"Wouldn't do any of us good if you end up accidentally killing her because her noise irritates you."

"Okay."

"That was cool though. The way you hit her with that plate."

"Mhmm."

"What happened to you, Chaeyoung?" Jisoo asks. 

"The world got too loud, Jisoo." Rosie replies with a sigh. 

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"Can't help but think it is."

"I don't want to talk anymore."

"Okay..you want another cigarette?"

"Sure."

\------------------------------------------------------------

"I like her." Lisa dopily says.

"Sure you do. Are you a masochist by any chance?" Jennie replies. 

Wipes down part of Lisa's face that still has some blood on it from a wound that the plate shards made on her forehead.

"Nope." Lisa replies. "Not a masochist. I just think she's cool..and somehow..important? I don't know. Something about her."

"Okay, Lisa. I get you. Something about her."

"I'm sorry, Jennie."

"Eh? For what?"

"I've a feeling you're into me."

"Do you want another plate to meet your face?"

"Nah. I just think that the way you are..it's either you're into me..or you're into Rosie..or..Jisoo? Mahn you're strange."

"YOU'RE strange. I'm not into anyone."

"Mhmm."

"If I ever am..it's not anything romantic. I just think about which of you would look good as part of my collection."

"Why not try a living collection?" Lisa asks.

"Huh?"

"You said you get lonely sometimes."

"So?"

"None of your taxidermy shit can talk. Isn't that a key point if you want to not be lonely?"

"I suppose."

Lisa grins. Taps Jennie twice on the tip of her nose with one finger. "So us three can be your collection. Except we're all breathing and we won't be ratting you out about your not breathing collection. Hell, we can help you out on that too if you want."

Jennie nods after a beat of staring at her out of it companion. "Didn't think of it that way."

"I should get head injuries more often." Lisa says. Staring at a spot off into the distance. "I get smarter everytime I do."

"Careful you'd get cured." Jennie jokes.

"Ah shit. We don't want that. I've got a recipe for Paella someone has to be dying for me to try."


	18. THE BODY IN APARTMENT 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm. No answers, more questions.

"You bought seats..but no seatbelts." Sooyoung comments. Staring at Yerim who is cheerfully detailing how she moved around the various items in her van to fit the seats Sooyoung was talking about.

Yerim waves her hand around. "Cool right? And seatbelts aren't really necessary are they? Where's your sense of thrill?"

"Mom and Dad are so disappointed in you." Irene says.

"Aren't you surprised they haven't risen from their graves to yell at both of us yet?" Yerim jokes.

"This smells like weed." Seungwan says. Sniffing her seat. "Where did you get these, Yerim?"

"There's a scrapyard near where I live." Yerim replies.

"Figures." Seulgi says. Looks around. "We're missing one."

"Irene can just sit on your lap." Sooyoung jokes. "Fun for all of us!"

Irene chuckles. Raises at an eyebrow at Seulgi. "I don't mind." She says.

Seulgi just laughs. Taps her lap and winks at Irene. "Hop on then."

Seungwan, Sooyoung, and Yerim all stare at each other. 

"Should we rock the boat?" Yerim whispers.

"It's so weird." Sooyoung says.

"Let's leave them be guys..must be a brainfart kind of day." Seungwan replies.

\------------------------------------------------------------

"I've thought about shit." Seulgi whispers to Irene.

"You have a brain?" Irene replies.

"Can you not be a bitch for five minutes?"

"I'm not a bitch, Seulgi. Just honest."

"Fuck off."

Yerim swerves to change lanes. Sooyoung and Seungwan both scream.

Seulgi just tightens her hold (hug) on Irene so she won't slip from her perch on Seulgi's lap.

"My seatbelt is sentient." Irene jokes.

"Fucking Yerim!" Sooyoung complains. 

"TURN YOUR BLINKERS ON!" Seungwan yells. 

"What were you thinking of?" Irene asks Seulgi who just shrugs.

"How come we haven't gotten along really?" Seulgi asks.

"I don't know. Maybe because you're an asshole?"

"Am I? Or is it because you always start shit with me?"

"Do I?"

"Break up with your guy. I've a feeling we'd be amazing together."

Irene laughs. Earning herself some stares from their other companions.

Thankfully, everyone gets distracted again when Yerim jumps three lanes to get to their exit.

Seulgi taps Irene on the stomach. "I'm being serious." She says.

"Oh holy shit." Irene reacts. "You are?!"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Fuuuuuuck."

"Admit it..it's not a dumb idea." Seulgi says.

"This is probably what Sooyoung meant when she said nothing good will come out of what we're doing." Irene replies.

"Your boyfriend is even more of a piece of shit than I am."

"Junmyeon..is stable."

"Junmyeon..is a waste of oxygen."

"Why do you hate the guy so much?"

"The few times I've been around him all he does is treat you like trash that's lucky to be with him."

"You think you can do better?"

"I already do better in bed. What more the other parts?"

Irene sighs. "Don't catch feelings, Kang Seulgi. It's not going to work."

"Fine." Seulgi says. "Pussy."

"Fuck off."

Yerim swerves again. Seulgi lets go of Irene.

"I HOPE YOU GET FUCKING SHOT!" Irene yells at Seulgi from where she landed on the floor in the middle of Seungwan's legs and the shelf with cleaning materials.

\------------------------------------------------------------

"Fresh." Yerim says. 

They all look at the 'body' that was reported to them. 

Tied up in a chair in one corner of the apartment they were all in. On top of a plastic floor cover that caught all the blood that pooled around it. Naked, showing signs of getting beat up, and sporting a slit throat. 

"I should be scared about how I'm used to this kind of thing." Irene comments.

"Ah darn." Seulgi replies. "I was hoping you'd hug me again."

"Did you hit your head sometime this past month and just did not tell us?" Sooyoung says.

Seulgi shrugs. "I'm doing this thing where I try to look at the bitch D.A with a new perspective."

"Please stop." Irene requests.

"Wouldn't be a bad thing." Seungwan comments. Snapping on some gloves.

"See, this is why Seungwan is my best friend." Seulgi jokes.

Seungwan laughs. Takes a photo of the body. 

It groans. Everyone except her screams.

"WHY DO THEY KEEP FUCKING DOING THAT?!" Seulgi complains. Grabs Irene and throws her in the direction of the dead body.

Irene trips on the edge of the plastic floor cover and faceplants into some blood with a scream.

Yerim slaps the dead body in the face.

"WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!" Sooyoung yells from where she's hiding behind Seungwan.

"THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE IS NIGH!!" Yerim screams. 

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY CRIME SCENE ALL OF YOU!!!" Seungwan yells.

\------------------------------------------------------------

"We should all be bothered about the sort of shit Seungwan lets us get away with." Sooyoung says.

They're all sitting in the curb just outside the apartment complex where the dead body is. 

"There's so much mishandling of evidence, it's probably the biggest reason why this police department never manages to solve a case." Irene says.

"Did anyone else think it was cool how my hand left an imprint on that guy's face?" Yerim asks.

Seulgi gets back from the convenience store across the seat. Offers Irene a bottle of energy drink and sits next to her.

"Where's my Vitamin C?" Sooyoung asks.

"Go get one yourself." Seulgi replies.

"I'm your partner!" 

"And Irene is my hot D.A fuck buddy."

"You need to stop whatever it is you're doing, Kang Seulgi." Irene warns.

"Believe it or not, I'm actually being really serious about whatever it is I'm doing, Irene Bae."

"Believe it or not, I was actually being serious when I told you it's not going to work."

"You two are so fucking weird." Yerim says. 

There's a meow from somewhere to their left.

They all turn to look. 

Two kittens hiding in a bush. Terrified beyond belief, fur sticking out in all directions. Blood splatters on them.

"Oh shit. We found some witnesses." Sooyoung says.

"Why couldn't I've been assigned to a normal police station with normal police cases and normal detectives?" Irene asks into the wind.

"Whoever killed that guy upstairs." Yerim says. "Are they the same person as the one from last month? Because they seem extra careful with the mess now. Is it because they learned their lesson or is it because they know me and they want to make my cleanup job easier?"

"Don't know." Sooyoung replies. Stares at Seulgi who is trying to coax the kittens out of the bushes.

"If those kittens actually come out of there because of Seulgi..you should really consider dating her." Seungwan says from behind Irene.

Everyone screams in surprise.

"WORK ON YOUR FOOTSTEPS WILL YA?!" Sooyoung yells. 

"Jesus." Irene says with a hand on her heart. "You're too quiet, can you warn us next time?!"

"There were roses where we found that Chanyeol guy. There's a rose on the floor next to the dead guy upstairs. Is it a connection? Some sort of serial killer trademark maybe?" Yerim asks. Still deep in thought, not paying attention to what's happening around her. "Is it even a serial killer or just random coincidences?"

Seulgi comes back to the group. The two kittens safely wrapped up in her jacket and purring contentedly. "We need to put them in witness protection." She jokes.

"Why couldn't I've been assigned to a normal police station with normal police cases and normal detectives?" Irene asks again.

\------------------------------------------------------------

"Lee Myeong-Gu. 46. Booked two years ago on charges of animal cruelty, apparently the guy hoarded cats and left them to rot." Sooyoung says. Flicks the information card that's tied to the dead guy's right foot.

Irene sneezes. "This place smells like formaldehyde." She comments.

"Welcome to the morgue." Seulgi jokes. 

"The autopsy table on the far end is great for eating lunch in." Seungwan comments. "Just the right height, smack dab in the middle of the AC's range."

"You have a desk?" Yerim comments with a shudder.

Seungwan shrugs.

Sooyoung raises a hand. "I was lunch the other day and today." She announces.

"Have you no sense of shame?!" Irene yells.

"You gave me a blowjob in your office four hours ago." Seulgi tells her.

Irene blushes.

"This police department has all the best tea." Yerim says with a laugh.

"Jesus Christ. At least we're having more fun than the other ones." Seungwan comments. "Tell us more about this guy, Sooyoung."

"I only got that information from Sunmi when Seulgi and I passed her in the bullpen. She saw the label on the folder I made for him and supplied me with the info." Sooyoung replied. "Sluggie fucking ran before any other other topic could be brought up."

Seulgi hums. Tosses a candy she unwrapped into the air and caught it with her mouth. "Thanks for covering for me." She tells Sooyoung.

"There's a willing victim." Irene tells Seulgi. "Go for it and leave me alone. She's been throwing herself at you for ages."

"I only want you now."

"Eew."

"Say that when you stop enjoying my disco stick."

Seungwan removes the white sheet that's covering the body. "You guys staying for the main event?" She asks.

Everyone shrugs.

"They're all upstairs." Is Seulgi's reply. "Sunmi..and Tzuyu keeps trying to talk to me about a drug bust she was in the other day..yeah..no. I'm hiding out here."

Irene pockets her cellphone. "Junmyeon ditched dinner for a night out with his friends. I've got nothing better to do."

"Seungwan and I have a date tonight." Sooyoung says. "Gotta stay here to make sure she doesn't ditch. Her turn to pay."

"Well okay." Seungwan chuckles. Puts on a labcoat, her specs and a faceshield, distributes the same thing to everyone else. "Let's find out more about Mr. Lee Myeong-gu."

"Yerim." Sooyoung calls.

"What?" Yerim replies.

"Go get us some burgers." Seulgi demands.

"Y'all are taking advantage of the burger lady and her discounts. She's actually really nice and she doesn't deserve you assholes." 

"Burger lady?" Irene questions.

"Yeah." Seulgi replies. "Works at the diner we all hang out in often."

"Looks exactly like you except softer somehow? It's fucking creepy." Sooyoung says.

"Sounds exactly like you too." Yerim says.

"Oh shit." Irene replies. "She does?!"

"Mhmm." Seungwan says. Starts cutting into the dead guy.

"Oh. Shit." Irene whispers.

"You okay?" Seulgi asks her.

Irene shakes her head. "Yeah..I'm..I'm okay."

"Whatever you say then."

The two kittens just meow from their spot in a box on Seungwan's desk.


	19. OPERATION NO GAMEPLAN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The dumpling's right. Why do they always come across things when they're together?

"I've got an early start tomorrow." Lisa declares. Finishes off her shot and sets the glass back down on the table. 

"Lisa having an early start means I also do." Jisoo regretfully informs. "The police have been cracking down on drugs in this city and they've taken to contacting our newspaper for the announcements. We have to interview this cop named Chou Tzuyu bright and early tomorrow." Pockets Lisa's car keys.

"You guys staying?" Lisa asks Jennie and Rosie.

Jennie nods. "I'm prowling tonight." She says.

"So soon?" Jisoo comments.

"I do it every other week."

"Holy shit?" 

"I don't always k-word them."

"Okay?"

"Hmm." Rosie supplies.

"I can give you a ride home?" Lisa offers Rosie.

"Is it really considered as you giving her a ride when I'm technically the one driving?" Jisoo asks Lisa.

Rosie chuckles.

"Fuck. You. Jisoo." Lisa says.

Jennie nods and stands up. "How about I just drive Rosie home?" She says to diffuse the impending fist fight that Jisoo and Lisa's eyes are hinting at. "I can always come back round here after."

"Fine." Lisa and Jisoo both say.

\------------------------------------------------------------

"If this was a high school set-up I'd be very annoyed at how those two seem to be at odds over you when there's a whole other me." Jennie jokes at Rosie as soon as they step out into the parking lot of the club. 

"Hmm." Rosie replies.

"There is a WHOLE spectrum of words." 

"Hmm."

"For god's sake."

\------------------------------------------------------------

Jisoo lights a cigarette. Flicks Lisa on the forehead right where the wound from the plate bashing incident is.

Lisa slaps her. "CAN YOU FUCKING NOT?!" She complains.

Jisoo just laughs. "It's hilarious how you're so worked up." 

"You said you won't get in the way!" Lisa whines.

"I never fucking said that."

"You're SUCH an asshole. Will you please just let me have this?!"

"Hey mahn. Whatever. I already told you to go for it. I'm not trying to get in the way, I swear."

"Then what the hell was that?!"

"What the hell was what?"

"That!"

"Huh?"

"That meow from somewhere over there." Jennie says from where she popped up right behind Lisa who startles and trips backward in shock. Right into Rosie who was next to Jennie and just pushed her off.

Lisa bounces off of Jisoo and lands on her ass.

Everyone laughs.

"I'm not here to be your comic relief!" Lisa complains.

Jisoo offers a hand to help her stand. Shushes everyone. 

There really was a meow from an alleyway to their left. 

"What the fuck was that?" Jisoo asks.

They wait. 

A man steps out. Carrying a sack on his shoulders.

"Hmm." Rosie says.

The sack squirms. There was a chorus of meows from inside it. The man just swings the whole thing right into a wall which caused it to emit a chorus of pained meows.

Jisoo's face darkens. She pushes off from where she's leaning against Lisa's car and follows the man.

"Oh for fuck's..why do we always come across shit like this everytime we're together?" Jennie hisses. 

"I said this before." Lisa supplies. "We're like the Avengers."

"Hmm." Rosie says.

"Careful on all the hmms. They give me life."

"Careful on all the talking. You'd lose your life."

"Burn." Jennie jokes. Follows their other friend.

\------------------------------------------------------------

They eventually caught up to Jisoo.

Lisa taps Jennie on the shoulder. "Can I see your switchblade?" She asks.

"Why?" Jennie replies.

Lisa shrugs. "Just curious. Do you have a special pocket in your bra for it? How do you not get stabbed in the tits? Actually, can I just see your bra?"

"What the fuck?!"

"Hey mahn. I told you. I'm just curious."

Rosie tsks. Walks a little faster to keep pace with Jisoo who is walking further ahead of them. It's a little quieter up front.

"You don't want to be anywhere near me right now, Chaeng." Jisoo warns. Eyes glazed over with murderous intent and staring straight at the guy they've been following.

Rosie lowers the volume on her earphones. "Better here with you than over there with Lisa." She comments.

"Hmm."

"Dude just let me see your bra!" They hear Lisa yell from behind them.

"Do you realize how you sound right now?!" Jennie replies.

The man they're following looks back at all the noise. 

Jisoo grabs Rosie and pushes her against a lamppost. Wraps both arms around her and kisses her. Hard. 

Jennie trips Lisa and then quickly bends over to where Lisa landed to pretend like she's helping her up. 

The man stares for about thirty seconds and then continues to walk away. 

"Were we supposed to look like we're random drunks?" Lisa asks Jennie. 

"I mean..yes?" Jennie replies. 

Rosie shoves Jisoo off her. Knees her right in the groin.

Lisa laughs at Jisoo's yell of pain. Loud. Bounces over to Jisoo and laughs more. "I hope your sperm count's still A-okay!" She heckles.

Jisoo just raises the middle finger at Lisa. Groans. "Damn, Chaeyoung." She complains. "Was I that bad at kissing?!"

"There are so many other things you could have done to throw off suspicion." Jennie tells Jisoo.

Rosie points at Jennie to acknowledge what she said. Nods.

Jisoo shakily stands up. Grabs a still laughing Lisa's shoulder for support. "Fuck." She whispers. "Man's further away now goddammit. We have to catch up."

\------------------------------------------------------------

"Is it considered a premeditated murder if we only decided to murder five minutes after we first started following the guy?" Lisa asks.

Everyone she's with in the elevator just groans.

"It's considered premeditated murder for Rosie who's been itching to kill you since she met you and first heard your loud ass voice." Jennie replies.

Rosie nods.

The elevator dings and the doors open to the floor where they assumed the guy went.

They all step out. 

"Now what?" Lisa asks after looking at both directions of the empty apartment complex hallway.

"Now you shut the fuck up and listen." Jisoo replies.

Rosie nods again. Removes both sides of her earphones and pockets them. 

They spread out. 

Jennie and Rosie on the right set of doors and Jisoo with Lisa to the left.

They walk back and forth for five minutes before Rosie gasps. Points to one door at the furthest end of the side Jennie and her were in. 

Jennie nods at her. Holds her hand to drag her to where Jisoo and Lisa were. Just finishing their 20th lap at their side.

"Door 36." Jennie tells Jisoo who nods.

"There's cameras." Lisa tells everyone. "All four corners. Don't look." Suddenly serious.

"Dammit." Jisoo says.

Rosie hmms. Points to herself. 

"You sure?" Jisoo asks her.

Rosie just nods again. 

"Okay." Jisoo acquiesces. "Take care of yourself, Chaeng. Come back when you're done. We'll wait outside."

\------------------------------------------------------------

Rosie thinks about how easy it is for her now. 

All she had to do was pull a facemask out of her pocket and wear it to avoid getting recognized, open the (unlocked) door of the 'security office' that's luckily located where she assumed it would be at the basement, and then knock out the lone 'guard' (that was already sleeping anyway) with a heavy toolbox that she found on the floor along the way.

She ties him to his seat for good measure. Stares at the screens in front of him and notes that they got lucky again when she finds that there's nothing for the floor they were supposed to be in.

She shakes her head at the situation. Thinks about when Jisoo asked about what happened to her and just whispers "I don't know" while disabling every single camera there is.

\------------------------------------------------------------

"So what's the gameplan?" Lisa asks. "Do we have a gameplan? Can we call this Operation No Gameplan?"

Rosie sighs. 

They're back in the elevator. Travelling again to the man's floor.

Jennie pulls out her switchblade.

"I'm still so so curious about your bra." Lisa tells Jennie.

"Can I borrow your knife?" Rosie asks Jennie who reluctantly hands it over to her.

The elevator dings just in time to give Jisoo space to pull Rosie away from stabbing Lisa's neck.

\------------------------------------------------------------

The man named Myeong-gu wakes up tied to one of his dining chairs. 

He looks around. There's four girls spread out around his apartment.

One who is fiddling with his record player, another one playing with a switchblade on his sofa, one who is tinkering around his kitchen looking inside his cabinets, and one with a hammer that's just staring at him from a chair beyond a plastic sheet that's laid out beneath him.

He recognizes them as the ones who knocked on his door some time ago. That was his last memory before he woke up.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" He bellows. Tries to get out from his bonds. "WHAT THE FUCK?!"

The girl who was in the kitchen walks back to the living room. Followed by five cats from the bundle he brought back with him.

"THOSE ARE MINE!" He yells about the cats.

"What were you even going to do with them?" Girl on the sofa asks. Stands up to tap the girl in front of him on the shoulder.

"WHO GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO WALK INTO MY HOME AND DO THIS TO ME?!" He replies.

"Jesus." Girl from the kitchen says. "Careful on the loud." Glances at the girl near his record player who's breathing through her nose.

"I DEMAND THAT YOU LET ME GO RIGHT THIS INSTANT!"

Things were a blur after that. He remembers seeing the girl near the record player grab the hammer from the one in front of him. 

He didn't even have time to blink before the hammer met his face.

\------------------------------------------------------------

"Stop, Chaeyoung." Jisoo says. Gently grabs Rosie's hand that was going for another swing and takes the hammer away. 

Rosie tsks. Walks off to go back to the record player.

Lisa just coos at all the cats who seem to have taken a liking to her.

Jennie hums. 

"Why..are you doing this?" The man asks.

Jisoo shrugs. "What were you going to do with the cats?" She asks him.

"They need to be disposed of. Filth." He says. "I'm just helping this city. There's already a stray dog problem, I'm handling the cats."

"Hey mahn." Lisa chastises. "Cats are adorable. They ain't filthy if you take care of them properly."

Jennie steps on something sticking out from under the sofa and stifles a scream. 

Rosie gasps in spite of herself. Frowns. 

"Jesus bro!" Lisa complains.

It was a dead and decaying cat. Jennie stepped on a paw instead of the head.

"They deserve it. Does no one any good." The man says. 

Jisoo slaps him. "Shut it." She warns.

"What the fuck do you people even want from me?!" He yells. "I'm not doing anything to you I don't even know you!"

"How many?" Jisoo asks him.

"What do you mean how many?!"

"How. Many. Cats." 

"I don't know! I don't count! Go by the river if you wanna find out, I throw most of them there!"

"Motherfucker." Jennie says. "Jesus. I totally get why you're so fucking pissed off at animal abusers now." She tells Jisoo.

"Make him stop yelling." Rosie requests. "Before I do."

Jisoo nods. "I hope you understand. Our friend hates noise." She tells the guy. Almost apologetic if not for the mocking tone in her voice.

"Anyone know how waterboarding works?" Lisa asks. Back from the bathroom with a bucket full of water. 

"I read up on it once. I suppose you know how to do it?" Jennie replies. 

Lisa nods. Hands over the bucket to Jisoo. "Figured you'd want to fit the punishment to the crime. You seem like that type of person."

Jisoo grins. Feral. Pleased at the idea presented. 

\------------------------------------------------------------

"Enough!" The man sputters. "Please! Enough! Stop!" Wet all over from the waterboading that's been going on for hours.

"Is that even enough for all the pain you caused?" Jisoo asks him.

"Please stop!" He begs.

"I don't even want to keep any part of that guy." Jennie comments. "Which is a first for me actually. I collect reminders..small shit like the eyes if nothing."

"You want some mac and cheese? I made some." Lisa offers Rosie who shrugs at her and picks out an LP from the selection that's next to the player she'd been checking out. "Your loss." Lisa tells Rosie in defeat.

"Why are you doing this?" The man asks Jisoo again.

"Were you not paying attention earlier?" Jisoo replies. "The punishment has to fit the crime."

"You think you're God?!" The man replies. "You're nothing! What you're doing doesn't count!"

"Do you really want to just..die and have all this be your 'accomplishment'?" Jennie asks him. "I mean..God would probably do a lot worse to you than we can."

"I'm not God." Jisoo tells him. "But all this makes me feel good so it's not exactly nothing in the grand scheme of things."

"Are we letting him go?" Lisa asks with wonder. Eats a spoonful of her mac and cheese.

"I won't report you." He tells them. Tugs at his bonds again. "If you're trying to teach me a lesson then how about we all just consider me learned?" He offers.

Jisoo just dunks his head in the water again.

\------------------------------------------------------------

"Ah shit." Jennie says. 

Jisoo slaps the guy in the face. 

No response. 

"Oh no." Lisa says. Jazz hands. Sarcastic. "He drowned."

"It's done at least." Jisoo comments. Wipes her wet hands on her shirt. "One less person all the strays in this town have to worry about."

Jennie stands up from the sofa. Walks over to the dead man. "I have to be honest." She tells Jisoo. "I'm glad you're feeling all fulfilled and shit but I'm not."

"I'd say sorry but nah." Jisoo replies.

"Guy's old." Lisa comments. "I'd ask for something but his pieces would be too tensile. Hard to chew. Neighbors won't like it."

"I kinda just want to see some blood." Jennie mentions with a shrug. 

Rosie lifts the needle from the record player. Returns everything she touched to their proper places and hums. "Clean up." She says.

There was a knock at the front door. They all freeze. 

"Shit." Lisa mouths.

Jennie just raises a finger to her lips as a gesture for quiet. 

"Myeong-gu hyung are you in there?" A man's voice from outside says. "I'll just leave this box of cat food outside your door!"

Jisoo startles at the tied up guy who started to stir awake with a groan. 

Rosie takes five full strides to get to Jennie. Grabs the switchblade from her hands and slits the guy's throat.

Everyone gasps at the same time the footsteps from whoever knocked outside had faded.

They all stare at the man who was gurgling his last breaths and spilling blood all over the plastic sheet they laid out. He didn't even have time to fully wake up.

"Jesus, Chaeng." Jisoo says.

"It's either that or he starts yelling." Rosie says. Hands Jennie her switchblade back. "Clean up."

Lisa nods. "As much as we can around here." She says. "Can't do anything about the body now though. People are starting to wake." Looks at her wristwatch. "It's 5AM..I'm taking the cats by the way. They cute as hell."


	20. THE JOURNALIST AND THE DETECTIVE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Baits have been cast.

Seulgi puts down her pen. Fights the wave of tired that surged through her when she straightened up from being hunched over her desk. 

It's been a week since they found another body. 

There's been increasing pressure from her superiors to find a resolution or at least make an arrest, considering that the news had somehow reached the media and the public is all over it.

There was a knock on her door. She calls out an exhausted "come in!"

Sooyoung pops inside. "That reporter Kim Jisoo is here again." She says. 

"Fuck." Seulgi replies. 

"I asked her if there's literally ANYTHING else she could write about."

"What did she say?" Seulgi asks. Wipes her face with a hand in exasperation.

"Said to take my complaints to her boss."

"Been on our ass since the day of the dead about a month ago."

"Their newspaper's business is fucking booooooming coz of all the exclusive scoops. I don't know who's the dumbass in this station that's giving her all the information."

Seulgi sighs. "I should talk to her huh? Clear out a few things at least so we don't get roasted by the public again."

"Yeah you kind of do." Sooyoung says with a shrug. "If it helps, she's alright. Seems to hate her job as much as we do ours."

"Hmm." Seulgi stands up. Pockets her essentials and then walks to the door. "I'm getting coffee. You want anything?"

Sooyoung shakes her head. Flicks a skeleton bobblehead (a gift from Seungwan) that's on Seulgi's desk. "Nah. I might just go down to the morgue in a bit. Check up on Wendy. Find me there."

Seulgi steps out of her own office.

\------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey." The reporter greets Seulgi. Offers a handshake that she accepts.

"How can I help?" Seulgi asks.

"I just figured I'd interview you. Get info straight from the one in charge so it's not all speculation." Jisoo answers. "Have time?"

"We can go to the coffee shop around the corner from here. I've got thirty minutes." 

"Great. Thanks."

\------------------------------------------------------------

"So what do you want to know?" Seulgi asks Jisoo as soon as they settled on a table.

"Anything you can tell me is appreciated." Jisoo answers. Adjusting her Clark Kent-esque glasses.

"Well..I can tell you that we have zero leads on the cases from last month." Seulgi says. "Those are all officially cold ones. The victim's families declined further investigation and to be honest..we don't know where to start if we do need to investigate. Even though we all feel like there's links..we don't have physical evidence to back it up."

"Hmm."

Seulgi doesn't miss the small nod that her companion has done. "But you already know that right?" She baits.

Jisoo smirks. "I do." She answers.

"Who's giving you the info?"

"No one."

"Bullshit. Be honest with me."

Jisoo shrugs. "Let's just say I'm good at my job yeah?"

Seulgi raises an eyebrow. Stirs her coffee. "There's a small lead we tried to pursue but haven't bothered to go further into." She supplies. 

Jisoo nods. "Okay?" She prompts.

"We found a picture in the wallet of the guy from the park."

"Hmm." Jisoo says. Continues writing her notes.

"A girl named Park Chaeyoung."

Jisoo's pencil shakes. Minute. She sips from her iced coffee in silence. 

"Our Forensic Pathologist wanted to dig deeper into her. Something about how she seems important. Like..a key of some sort."

"Did you..find anything?" Jisoo asks. Almost quiet. Deep eyes briefly boring into Seulgi like she NEEDS to know the answer and it would be devastating if she didn't.

Seulgi shrugs. Misses the whole show when Jisoo leans her head down to ponder over her notes.

"We let Seungwan talk to the girl over the phone. Turns out there's nothing too much there other than she left town when he was murdered." Seulgi answers. "My partner and I spoke to her during the victim's funeral too. Wasn't hard considering she was the only person who was there anyway. She said he has no family and she's not willing to go through the trouble for his sake. Turns out they broke up the night before he died." 

"Hmm."

"Park Chaeyoung was the only lead we had to solving at least one of the cases from last month. We stopped when she turned out to be a dead end."

Jisoo sighs. Flips to a new page on her notebook. "The victim from last week. What's up with that?"

"Everything we know from that case..the media has already put out. No thanks to you." 

"Mine are all speculative pieces. It's not my fault they turned out to be correct."

"Some in the department are thinking you know too much. My partner for instance."

"I just watch a lot of crime documentaries. Journalist shit."

"Hmm."

They sit in silence for a few minutes. Seulgi staring at the people passing outside, and Jisoo padding up her notes on their conversation.

"Look." Seulgi starts. 

Jisoo looks up. "Hmm?"

"I respect your job. Journalists have it rough. So I'll throw you a bone. Because there's a lot of newspapers in this city and a lot of writers but at least your articles are honest."

"Thank you."

"Fingerprints." Seulgi supplies. "There's fingerprints everywhere. On all the crime scenes. The ones from last week match the ones from last month's. We know that much. One from the guy in the apartment that was two weeks dead when we found him..one from the guy in the park."

Jisoo stays silent.

"Two from the man in the bathroom of the club." Seulgi continues. "Four in the gas station murders."

"So 8?" 

Seulgi shakes her head. "No. Four. Because the fingerprints from last month..are all the same fingerprints that we found on the one last week."

"Hmm."

"What do you think that tells us?" Seulgi asks Jisoo before she sipped from her coffee.

Jisoo shrugs. "Same person?" She replies.

"Same people." Seulgi corrects. "We think it's four different people who were doing their own thing last month but somehow managed to band together for the gas station killings..took a break..and then got back into the game just last week."

"That's some good sleuthing, detective." Jisoo jokes. Raises her coffee cup to Seulgi.

"Which brings us back to Park Chaeyoung." Seulgi says.

The ice inside Jisoo's coffee cup rattles with the force of her shaking hand.

"You alright?" Seulgi worriedly asks.

"Huh? I'm okay. I get spasms sometimes." Jisoo explains. Hurriedly puts down her cup. "Get that when you write too much and then switch to a keyboard for long periods of time."

"Okay. Take care of yourself, intrepid journalist. Few people in this town who do honest work like you."

"Sure..uhh..thanks..you were saying? Uhh..about Park Chaeng-Chaeyoung." Jisoo prompts. Pencil poised on top of a blank notebook page.

Seulgi shrugs. "Hers were the only prints that were all over the guy from the park."

"Does that mean you also found her prints on the other victims?" Jisoo asks. 

"Nope."

"Huh?"

"We just assumed she's all over the park guy. I mean..they dated have they not? She said so herself."

"She a suspect now or something? I thought you said she was a dead end?" Jisoo bristles.

Seulgi just smiles. "See this is what I like about you, reporter Kim Jisoo. You seek the truth just like the rest of us."

"Why would you mention her?"

"Wouldn't hurt to let the public know we at least have that lead going for us right? I mean..they don't have to know it's going nowhere for now."

Jisoo nods. "You're throwing her under the bus to make the police department look good. That's what you want me to do? What you want me to write?"

Seulgi shrugs. "I told you all I can tell you. It's your choice to put her name out there or not. If you do..the police deparment would appreciate it." She says. Finishes her coffee.

Jisoo stares at a corner of their table slightly to Seulgi's left. Shakes her head. "Thank you for the fingerprints tip. I'm running with that. But with all due respect..I think..I'm going to protect Park Chaeyoung's interests." She says. Standing up and stuffing her notebook and pencil into her backpack. 

Seulgi just nods. "I look forward to your next article, intrepid reporter, Kim Jisoo."

"I hope you have a good day, Detective Kang Seulgi."


	21. PARK CHAEYOUNG

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's all go and show -R- some love. 
> 
> Coz Rosie in this story is scary as shit and has her reasons.
> 
> And also because irl Rosie is a precious cinnamon roll that deserves all the love in the world.

Rosie sighs as soon as she opens the door to her apartment. Raises an eyebrow at her visitor.

"Hi. Uhh..Jennie told me where you lived." They tell her. 

Figuring it would be rude to not let the visitor in, she steps aside and gestures with her head for them to follow her.

They come to the living room where they both sit at the sofa. 

"Jisoo why are you here?" Rosie asks after a minute of silence. 

Jisoo nods. Offers Rosie a package she brought with her. "I came by to give you this." She explains. 

Rosie takes the package. Opens it to find a pair of noise cancelling headphones. "Hmm." She says.

"I..spoke to one of the detectives handling everything earlier."

Rosie nods. A signal for Jisoo to continue talking.

"They mentioned your name. And how they thought you were a person of interest in Chanyeol's..uhh..case." Jisoo explains.

Rosie nods again. "I AM a person of interest." She says.

"Well..yeah. But..uhmm..they're not doing anything about it or whatever but..at some point they tried to tell me to write an article about how you are."

"So you're bribing me with headphones?" Rosie bristles. Pissed at the idea that Jisoo had mentioned. "Fucking nice of you to ask permission to write about me this time." 

Jisoo frantically shakes her head. "No, Chaeng. That's not what that is I swear. I..wanted to give you that so you'd have something if you're going out or what not..help you block people out or whatever. I..noticed you don't like loud."

"You think I'd kill again." Rosie says. Straight-faced.

Jisoo shrugs. "I just want you to be extra careful. They found mine and the other's prints as well but..I didn't get to ask if they matched it or anything. I..I was too focused on your name getting caught into it." She apologetically explains.

Rosie stares at the headphones. There was a bark from behind the sofa and a puppy's head pops out. 

Jisoo recognizes it as one of the dogs they found in the trucker's trailer a month ago. The overly excited puppy that was too attached to the one she's talking to. 

"You kept him huh?" Jisoo comments. 

Rosie looks at the puppy. Shrugs. "Great companion. Knows how to be quiet. Tail does the talking for him." She explains. 

"Cool..uhmm."

"Hank. From the coffee shop I used to go to back in college." 

Jisoo smiles. "Hank." She repeats. Pats the dog twice at the top of the head and laughs at the tail wags it rewarded her with. "Nice. Hello, Hank."

\------------------------------------------------------------

They sit in silence. Rosie just staring at the headphones and Jisoo playing with Hank from the side of the sofa.

Rosie sighs. "Do you have..any idea..how bad it got?" She asks Jisoo.

Hank growls. Seemingly sensing that his caretaker's mood had taken a turn. Runs over to Rosie's side and sits at her feet. Judgmental eyes staring right at Jisoo as if he's daring her to say the wrong thing.

"Great guard dog." Jisoo awkwardly says.

"You asked about what happened to me."

"Uhh.."

"Park Chaeyoung." Rosie says. "Wasn't too popular but was liked enough by her peers. Top of her class. Acing it at being a football midfielder. Had the best home life, was adored by her parents and her elder sister..everything..at the palm of her hands."

Hank growls again. 

"Park Chaeyoung..not exactly a nerd but the glasses made it look like she was, not that it was a problem, she's just fucking blind so she needs them. Park Chaeyoung..who met a fellow nerd named Kim Jisoo at the university library's English Literature section and made friends with that same nerd after ten different times they helped her find the book she needed." Rosie recites.

"Chaeng.." Jisoo whispers. Yelps when Hank barks at her in a menacing way. Raises both hands to placate the dog, well versed in the idea that size doesn't define how hard a dog can mangle.

"Park Chaeyoung..who was closeted but had a great girlfriend. Park Chaeyoung who had no..idea..that her nerd friend Kim Jisoo liked her in that way. Park Chaeyoung..who's bisexual ass got fucking outed to the entire school when her nerd friend wrote a fucking poem and name-dropped her as inspiration on the school newspaper in an effort to get her girlfriend out of the way so they can confess."

"Chaeyoung..I..I'm sorry." 

Rosie's voice slowly grows louder. A deadly level of calm to it that raises the hairs on the back of Jisoo's neck. "Park Chaeyoung..who's entire life got upended when the poem came out. Park Chaeyoung who had to drop out of the fucking CATHOLIC university after all the noise became too much. Park Chaeyoung..who's parents disowned her when they found out everything. Park Chaeyoung who had to change her name and slum it on her own at the sketchy big city because she couldn't stay at the small town where she was anymore due to all the 'shame'. Park Chaeyoung..who worked three jobs to scrounge up enough money to go back to school at the community college just so she can keep going for the final year of her pre-medical degree but had to give up the actual med school and her dream of being a surgeon because there's no fucking way she can afford that." 

"I..I'm sorry, Chaeyoung. I was a stupid person back in college."

"Park..fucking..Chaeyoung. Who had to endure all sorts of yelling from her manager at the restaurant she was working her first job in as a waitress. Park Chaeyoung..who dealt with whispers from the old ladies she worked with at her second job being a cleaner at an office building. Park..Chaeyoung who got catcalled to no fucking end and then developed freakin' tinittus because of all the loud at her third job being a bartender at night." Rosie continues. Crushing the paperbag that the headphones came with in one hand. "Park..Chaeyoung..who would not have experienced all that..and also could not have possibly met the guy she dated and murdered..had Kim Jisoo not written that goddamn poem and just confessed properly in the first place."

"I'm sorry, Chaeyoung..I'm sorry. I can't say anything else. I'm..sorry." 

"Don't..call me..that name." Rosie whispers. 

"I.."

"Shut up. Shut the fuck up, Jisoo. You ruined my life."

"Fuck.."

"Yeah. Fuck. Your sorry isn't going to change anything at this point. But I suppose you got what you wanted in the end right?"

"Wh..what?"

"Park Chaeyoung..was dumped by her also closeted girlfriend after the article came out."

"Jesus Christ."

Hank growls again. Bares his teeth at Jisoo.

"I don't want you anywhere near me." Rosie says with a sigh. 

Jisoo stays silent. Head hanging and just staring at a specific spot on the floor of Rosie's living room.

"Bad things happen to me when you're around, Kim Jisoo. But I recognize a deeper meaning to things when I see them. I don't know what the universe is playing at by tossing us back into each other's orbits again with these circumstances. I don't..know..why I ended up in a fucking murder posse and had you of all people as one of my fellow members." Rosie grabs Hank's collar the second he springs up to bite Jisoo's legs. Restrains him. "I..will be civil and friendly. I..was..and still am being friendly to you. For Jennie and Lisa's sakes. Not yours. I..will be careful..for those two. Not for you. Because we're all going to hell for what we did but yours is twice the hell than theirs would be."

Jisoo shakes her head. Looks Rosie right at the eyes. "I'm sorry." She repeats. "I..what happened with us..what I did. I regret that the most. I swear. I..I could have handled that differently, I know that now..god..I..I was so stupid. I'm sorry."

"We all murdered people, Jisoo. But you also have what you did to me hanging over your head. I know you regret it. You wouldn't be saying sorry if it wasn't. You wouldn't be so afraid of my dog if it's not. Yours will be twice the hell because when all this ends in any of our deaths..Park Chaeyoung is the first person who will be wishing it is."


	22. HOW

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmmmm..

"There's a bruise on your hip." Seulgi says to Irene. 

They're drinking beers at their usual motel room. Both on their fifth cans after a round of fucking against the door and one on the same table they stacked all the empty cans in.

"I hit it against my kitchen counter." Irene replies. 

"Is your kitchen counter shaped like a hand?" Seulgi asks. "Because you also have a bruise on your arm with the exact same shape."

"Hmm."

Seulgi finishes her beer. Opens another one. "With all these 'sessions' we keep doing..I think we're past the point of lying to each other..don't you?"

"With all these 'sessions' we keep on doing..I hope you know by now how I sometimes like it rough." 

Seulgi hums. "Irene..I'm a detective. I know I'm shit at it..but please give me more credit than that excuse." She whispers.

"It's not your business, Kang Seulgi."

"I'm at the point where I want it to be my business."

"Have you grown to care that much for your D.A bitch fuck buddy?" Irene baits.

"So what if I did?" Seulgi retorts. "Is it really such a bad thing?"

Irene sighs. "I specifically told you not to do that."

"I never agreed to that part of the arrangement."

"Then maybe we should stop whatever this is before you go deeper into your fantasies." Irene replies with finality. Sets her beer down on the table. Proceeds to pick up her clothes that were strewn about the room when they undressed two hours before.

Seulgi just watched Irene until she finished getting dressed and had walked out of the door. Takes a long swig from the beer she's still holding and crushes the can in one hand when she finished.

\------------------------------------------------------------

"Did they match?" Sooyoung asks Seungwan the second she entered the latter's office. Seulgi in tow.

Seungwan blinks at them. Shakes her head and gestures to the fingerprint analysis files on her desk. "None of these prints are in our database." She says. "Whoever those four people are..they're clean."

"Goddammit. Those crime scenes are messy as fuck, Seungwan." Seulgi says. "How the hell do we have nothing but useless fucking fingerprints?!" 

"I don't know." Seungwan sighs. "I combed over everything in those places. We all did."

"Those four are either super fucking careful or they're super fucking lucky. It's been a month. If we still haven't got anything then that's another cold case on our hands." Sooyoung says.

"Listen, Joy." Seungwan says. "I'm just as frustrated as you are. You know I'm with you and Seulgi here. I think those murders are all connected too. I've been losing sleep at night thinking about HOW the same way you guys are."

Sooyoung sighs. Sits at a vacant chair in front of Seungwan's desk. "Fuck." She comments. 

"Yerim mentioned something to me the other day." Seungwan starts. Sits down as well and rolls her chair to where Sooyoung is.

"What?" Seulgi asks from her spot leaning against the wall next to the body 'freezers'.

"Something about how there's roses on the crime scene at the park..and then another rose at the latest one." 

"She told me the same thing. You think it's a signature?"

Seungwan shrugs. Runs a hand through her hair. "Maybe?"

"Could be just a coincidence. That Chanyeol guy could have just 'happened' to roll into some rosebushes you know. And the latest was at an apartment. Roses are a fucking cliché decoration. There were signs of struggle, he could have just knocked a vase over or something." Sooyoung enters.

"Maybe." Seungwan repeats. Whispered.

Sooyoung gasps. "Fucking..what. I know where your brain is going."

Seungwan chuckles. "The gas station murders..were a whole one month apart from the latest apartment killing. I noticed that." She says. "It's almost exactly one month from that again. Tomorrow to be exact."

"Pattern?"

"Could be."

"It's going to be so FUCKED up if it is." Seulgi comments. Unwrapping a Twix bar she got from her pocket. "Makes sense though."

"If my theory about the timeline is correct..and another body shows up.."

"We can check if there's a rose anywhere near it?" Sooyoung jokes.

"I mean..yes? Because twice is a coincidence, Sooyoung. Anything more than that..is deliberate." Seungwan says with a nod. 

Seulgi shrugs. "I don't want anyone else to die." She starts. "But fuck we're scrambling for literally anything we can use at this point."

\------------------------------------------------------------

"Eat." Yerim tells Irene. Drops a bag of food on Irene's table.

They're both at the latter's office. Yerim barged in after two weeks of not seeing her elder sister at home.

"I've had a meal already." Irene replies. 

Yeri looks around. "Have you been sleeping here?" She asks. 

"No..?" 

"What the hell."

"Don't worry too much..I just..have a lot of paperworks to do."

"Bull. Shit. Unnie."

"Language, Yerim."

"Oh fuck you. You don't get to tell me that shit, you're more of a pottymouth than I am."

"Tsk."

"Did you and your pencil dick boyfriend have a fight again?"

"That's none of your business."

Yerim plops down on the sofa that Irene's been using as a bed. Sighs. "Break up with him, unnie." She says. "There's no Mom and Dad who would disapprove anymore."

Irene shakes her head. "Junmyeon is familiar." She says.

"Junmyeon oppa is a turd who hits you when he gets angry." Yeri retorts. Red in the face. "I'd poison him with a bottle of my strongest cleaning chemical if I wasn't so worried I'd end up getting caught coz for SURE I'd be bragging about that murder afterwards."

"Yerim please. Let's not get into that." Irene says with a sigh.

Yeri just throws her hands up in exasperation. Irene sighs and goes back to work.

"Detective Seulgi." Yeri says after a moment of silence where she's just picking at a loose thread on one of Irene's pillows. "I heard you stopped whatever it is you two have been up to."

"Hmm. It wasn't doing any good." Irene confirms.

"Is that why you've both been extra irritable over the past couple of weeks?" Yeri asks. "Withdrawals?"

"Why are you so up my ass about my love life?" Irene asks.

Yeri chuckles. "So Detective Kang Seulgi is part of your love life?" She jokes.

Irene throws a pen at her. "Get out of my office." She orders. "I don't need your messed up mind games."

Yeri just catches the pen with one hand. Pockets it and obediently goes to Irene's office door to leave.

"Break up with Junmyeon oppa before it gets worse, Irene unnie. Please." Yeri says before opening the door. "Your 'thing' with the detective is weird as fuck but you two somehow work well together. And..Seulgi cares about you..as strange as that is for your ears. Think about it." She drops before leaving and closing the door behind her.

Irene sighs. Runs a hand through her hair. "I thought about it already, Yerim. I thought about it and I'm just..scared." She belatedly replies.

\------------------------------------------------------------

"You seem stressed." A voice says from behind Seulgi.

She looks over. It's the lady who mans the burger joint she's hanging out in after her shift. 

She nods. Closes the notebook where she's listed all the theories she has with Sooyoung about the cases they've been working on. "Hmm." She replies.

The girl sits across her at the booth. Offers Seulgi the milkshake she ordered. 

"Thanks." Seulgi says. Accepting the drink and taking a grateful sip. 

"Need a vent?" The burger lady asks.

"I don't know if I can tell you anything about what exactly it is I'm stressing over."

The girl shrugs. "Spare the details then."

Seulgi sighs. Sips from her milkshake again. "Just some cases I've been working on. Uhh..I suppose you know I'm a detective already. My team hangs out here often." She opens.

"One of your friends..Yerim. She talks to me sometimes." The girl tells Seulgi. Chuckles. "Well..not sometimes. I suppose the best thing to say is she talks to me all the time." She explains.

"Ahh. That kid. Can't keep her mouth shut." Seulgi says with a shake of her head.

The girl just waves a hand as a sign of nevermind. "Don't worry about it. She's good company on my shift. And she doesn't tell me anything that's confidential. Mostly just talks to me about whatever. We barely skim what you guys do as police. You're Kang Seulgi right?"

Seulgi nods. "Yep. Detective Kang Seulgi at your service." She jokes. Salutes even. "And..uhh..don't believe everything Yerim tells you..she's not even part of the force." Seulgi reveals with a laugh. "She's a crime scene cleaner that our team accidentally adopted."

The girl laughs too. "She did mention that. I'm glad Yerim has you guys though." She comments. "She said she thinks of you all as good friends."

"That's..nice."

"Hmm. It is." 

The girl looks out the window next to the booth they're sitting on. Observes the midnight atmosphere outside.

Seulgi stares at her. Notes how she does look a lot like the D.A except softer like everyone says she is.

"Is this..uhh..is this your usual shift?" Seulgi asks.

The girl shrugs. "Yes. But sometimes I also do mornings. Extra pay helps. Especially when there's not much for tips on this timing." The girl explains. 

"Cool."

"Why'd you ask?"

Seulgi blinks. "I don't know?" She says. "Conversation purposes? I'm..bad at talking to pretty girls." Flushes.

The girl laughs again. Loud. The sound just bouncing off the empty diner and Seulgi's brain. "You're thinking about how you did not just say that out loud are you?" She jokes.

Seulgi flushes even more. Thinks about how the fuck she can lose her cool like this when she's normally so composed she can even go toe to toe with this girl's bitchier Lawyer clone.

"Don't worry too much." Burger lady jokes. "I'll let it slide."

"I'm..sorry." Seulgi whispers. Sips her milkshake in an effort to cool her flaming insides.

"Hmm."

"So..uhh..hmm."

The girl raises an eyebrow at Seulgi. 

"I.." Seulgi starts. Her phone rings. Startling both her and her companion. "Sorry." She apologizes to the girl who just nods and gestures for her to nevermind. Goes back to staring outside.

Seulgi picks up the call. "Kang." She greets. 

_ "Seulgi."  _ Sooyoung says from the other end.

"Yes. That's my name. What do you want?" Seulgi sarcastically replies.

Sooyoung sighs. Long suffering. _ "There's another dead body."  _ She says.

Seulgi clenches her phone. "Fuck. Okay..uhh..I'll meet you at the station. I'm coming back now. Who else is going?"

_ "Everyone except Yerim." _

"Okay. Okay. Give me ten minutes."

Sooyoung hangs up. Seulgi pockets her phone with a sigh.

The burger lady blinks owlishly at her. "I don't mean to overstep but..are you okay?" She asks. "That sounded urgent."

Seulgi just sighs again. Stand up to pocket her things and bows apologetically at the burger lady. "I'm..sorry to cut our conversation off and leave you alone here." She says.

The girl shakes her head rapidly. "Stop. No. Don't worry. Duty calls amirite?" She says with a smile.

They nod at each other. Seulgi turns to go. Is at the door already by the time she remembers to ask. 

She looks back at the girl who has already gone back to her spot behind the counter. 

"Hey!" Seulgi calls out. 

The girl looks up. Raises an eyebrow. 

"I forgot to ask for your name." Seulgi says with a hand behind her neck. Walks closer to the girl with an awkward smile. "Seems..uhh..weird considering you know mine."

The girl just smiles back at Seulgi. "It's all good, detective." She says.

"Your name is All Good?" Seulgi jokes.

The girl shoos her away. "Don't you have a job to do?"

"Not until you tell me your name."

The girl smiles wider. Takes out a nametag from her pocket and pins it to her blue apron.

"Joohyun." She says. "My name is Bae Joohyun..and..however short..it's nice to finally get to talk to you, Detective Kang Seulgi."


	23. WHO DID IT?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's other forces coming into play.

"Did you do it?!" Lisa angrily says as soon as she walks into the parlor of Jennie's mansion.

"Did you cab it here?" Jennie sharply replies. "Lisa, we all talked about not FUCKING doing that!"

Lisa shakes her head. "I didn't cab it." She says. "I brought my motorbike."

"You..have a motorbike..but you can't drive a car."

"That's beside the fucking point right now, Jennie!" Lisa yells. Shoves Jennie in the shoulder with one finger. "DID. YOU. DO. IT?!" She asks again. 

Jennie bristles. Stands up to shove Lisa right back. "Do you think I'm stupid?!" She asks. 

"Who else could have done it?!" 

"There's two other missing people in this place, in case you haven't noticed, why are you not asking them?!" 

Lisa plops down on one of Jennie's numerous ottomans. Catches her head in her hands. "Soo isn't picking up my calls..and..I don't have Rosie's number." She admits.

"So you decided that I'm the best person to rail on in this situation?" Jennie asks Lisa. Deadpan. Angry and boiling.

"You heard the police on that press conference, Jennie." Lisa says. "The victim's a senator's son. The type of person you'd find partying in nightclubs that people of his status hang around in. People..with the same status of old money as you."

"Don't accuse me of stupid shit, Lisa. You know how I work. I don't leave my kills lying around mangled in their own apartments."

"Goddammit."

They both hear the front door of the mansion opening. There's a beat where they look at each other in a tense silence. Both ready to grab whatever just in case they need to defend themselves.

Rosie appears from the parlor's arched entrance. Silent. Wearing a black jacket with the hood pulled up on top of some noise cancelling headphones.

Jennie and Lisa both sigh in relief. 

Rosie just sits in the ottoman next to where Lisa is perched. Nods at both of them as a greeting.

Jennie clears her throat. 

"Jisoo is parking." Rosie supplies. Answers the question that Jennie was yet to voice out.

"Oh you came with her?" Lisa says in surprise.

Rosie raises an eyebrow at her. Doesn't speak again. 

"Fucking duh." Jennie says.

"Why do you hate me?" Lisa asks Rosie who pays her no mind and just continued to scroll through an old iPod she pulled out from her pocket.

Lisa shrugs. 

Jisoo shows up. Face devoid of emotion. Goes straight to a Whiskey bottle that's on the table next to where Jennie is and pours herself a glass. Plops two ice cubes on it and takes a sip. "Which one of you did it?" She asks.

Both Lisa and Jennie sputter in disbelief. Mad at the accusation.

"I was at the petstore exchanging cat care tips with the lady who runs it!" Lisa yells.

"I was in the middle of sex." Jennie answers. "At a sleazy motel room with some guy I forgot the name of."

Jisoo nods. 

"Where were you?!" Lisa accuses Jisoo.

"I was at Rosie's." Jisoo replies. 

Jennie and Lisa both swivel their heads at the girl that Jisoo mentioned.

Rosie takes off her headphones. "Had to talk." Was her only explanation.

"Fuck." Jennie says. Pours herself some Whiskey as well. "Then who was it?" She asks the tense air that's surrounding all four of them.

\------------------------------------------------------------

"Who did it?" Lisa asks for the umpteenth time.

"That's for the police to find out." Rosie says. 

"The problem with that, Chaeng..is they might connect it to us." Jisoo explains.

Rosie shrugs.

"I've had one since the cat guy." Lisa informs her companions. "The bulgogi was a hit with the neighbors."

"Two." Jennie also says. "They're both upstairs."

"Cat guy was my last." Jisoo says. "I'm just trailing a couple of possibilities for the moment."

"Haven't left my apartment since cat guy." Rosie tells them. "Only for this."

They all sigh. 

Jisoo finishes off her Whiskey. Pours another glass. 

"Soo." Lisa calls. "We have to come back to the police. Expose ourselves to them."

"Throw off suspicion?" Jennie asks.

"Been doing that for a while now." Jisoo comments. "The detectives trust me. I get info from everyone in that station. Keeps me ahead of them, keeps my articles clean. I know what I can say that I can trace back to them."

"Hmm." Rosie says.

Jennie breathes out. Nods twice. "We need to lay low. All of us." She says. Resigned. Like it takes a lot for her to even suggest it. "Stay here for now."

"Can't do that." Rosie says. "They know me."

"No." Jisoo says.

"How chivalrous." Lisa sarcastically replies.

"Fuck off, Lisa." 

Rosie shushes them. They both hang their heads.

"Of all the times someone else could have possibly murdered someone..they decided to do it right at the day when the police can pin a pattern on us." Jennie comments.

"Dead person won't have the same prints as the ones they found on our kills." Lisa says. "That can still throw them off."

"We're still safe." Jisoo says with a nod. "They haven't even matched any of our fingerprints to anything because we don't have any records."

Rosie raises her hand. Everyone turns to look at her. 

"Dead guy." She says.

"Hmm?" Jennie asks.

"Chanyeol's buddy. Dropped by mine to ask about Chanyeol the morning before he died." 

"Motherfucker." Lisa says. 

"Shook hands with him. Hung his coat behind my door."

"Chaeng." Jisoo sighs.

Jennie just stares at Rosie. "I'm choosing to trust..that you have a plan?" She asks.

Rosie shrugs again. "Let the police find me." She says simply. Puts her headphones back on.

"Hell no." Lisa says. Shaking her head. "No. Not going to happen."

"I'm with Lisa on this one." Jisoo says. Drinking straight from the Whiskey bottle.

Rosie turns up the volume on her headphones. Ignores everyone.

\------------------------------------------------------------

"She's not going to talk." Jennie tells Lisa and Jisoo after dragging them out of the parlor. "If they come to her. She's not going to talk. Jesus..we all know that." 

"Still no." Lisa replies. "I'm not comfortable with just throwing her under the bus like that. Especially if we all know she didn't do it. That's not her kill, we can't let her take the rap for it."

"They might not even think she's a suspect." Jennie retorts.

"They know her from her first kill, Jennie. Her prints are all over that Chanyeol guy. If they find them again with this one she's going straight to the top of their list." Jisoo explains. 

"Why are you both so protective of her?"

Lisa shrugs. "She's pretty." 

"That's a stupid reason."

"I have a lot to make up for with her." Jisoo answers. 

Jennie sighs. "Guys. We have to let her do it." She tries to convince them again. "We're all on the line here and if there's anyone in this group that can throw them off, Rosie's the best. She's not going to talk. She never fucking does."

"We know that. But.." Jisoo says. "If we let her go..we can't catch up with her until the heat dies down. Even if she never says anything..we have to do that to avoid the connection."

"Because they'll have her under their watch 24/365." Lisa says. 

"Chaeyoung is volatile." Jisoo supplies. "She's going to explode under those conditions. We can't let her be on her own, Jennie. She kills based on her emotions."

"Not like us. We have plans. Set M.O's that we stick to. Set type of victims, our own ways of disposal. Hell, Jisoo has a super secret ultra hidden supervillain lair where she does her thing." Lisa supplies. "Rosie's unpredictable. If she explodes in the middle of all that scrutiny then she's fucked. We can't let that happen to her."

Jennie looks over her shoulder into the parlor where Rosie is sitting. Sighs. "For Christ's sake." She whispers. Right hand massaging her temple.

"There has to be another method to get the police to look the other way." Lisa suggests.

"I'll..I'll think about it." Jennie says. "Let me think about it."

Lisa and Jisoo both nod. 

"Are you guys staying the night?" Jennie asks them.

"Might as well." Jisoo answers with a shrug.

"Too dark to drive my bike." Lisa says in lieu of an answer.

"Fine. Okay. Just..pick a room upstairs like last time. Don't--"

"Go inside the one with the black door." Lisa and Jisoo both say. "Yeah we get it."

\------------------------------------------------------------

"Are you trying to get caught?" Lisa asks Rosie. 

Rosie puffs out two rings from the cigarette she's smoking. Shrugs. "Prison is quiet." She replies.

"So you are." 

"What's it to you? I'm not going to take you guys with me anyway."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to."

"Hmm."

They sit for a few minutes in silence. Both enjoying the night breeze at the balcony that their bedrooms share.

Lisa clears her throat. "Why do you not like noise?" She ventures to ask. Thinks now is the best time since the other one seems to be willing to talk.

Rosie offers her a cigarette from a pack Lisa recognizes to be the same brand that Jisoo usually smokes. 

"Ears ring when people talk around me. Annoying." Rosie says after helping Lisa light the cigarette.

Lisa breathes out the smoke. Nods. "Always?"

"Tinittus."

"Music helps?" Lisa questions. Points to the headphones on the table next to Rosie.

"Classical. Not too much. Enough to drown it out." 

"Okay."

Rosie lights another stick. 

They sit in more silence until she gets halfway to smoking it and Lisa talks again.

"I'm..sorry." Lisa says. Hushed. "I'll..try to not be too loud."

"Thanks." Rosie replies.

"Cool. Uhmm..can we..can we start over? Uhh..friends." 

Rosie stubs out her cigarette and turns to stare at Lisa.

Lisa turns red. _Why is she so pretty? Please don't look at me like that maam. I'm gay._ She thinks.

"Are we not already?" Rosie asks.

Lisa just blinks at her. "I..thought you hate me. Uhh..you stabbed both my legs and tried to slit my throat in the elevator." She says. 

"Too loud."

"Uhh.."

"We're friends..but..don't..don't be too loud, Lisa. We're friends." 

"Nice. Okay?"

Rosie nods twice. Picks up her headphones and then leaves Lisa at the balcony without a goodbye.

Lisa fistpumps after making sure that Rosie's door is closed and her curtains are drawn. "Progresssssssssss." She whisper cheers.

\------------------------------------------------------------

"What's behind the black door?" Jisoo asks Jennie who just stepped out backwards from the door in question. 

Jennie screams in surprise. 

"Whoa." Jisoo jokes.

"Fuck. Off!" Jennie complains. Shoves Jisoo into the opposite wall.

Jisoo raises both hands. "Sorry. Was just curious." She says.

"There's nothing in there." Jennie answers Jisoo's question. Starts to walk away. 

Jisoo follows her. "That where you keep your collection?" She asks.

"None of your business."

"It is if I want a decent night's sleep. I just wanna make sure I pick the room that's furthest from the one that has taxidermied people." 

"Is it a journalist thing to be that inquisitive?" Jennie sarcastically comments.

Jisoo shrugs even though Jennie can't see her. "Probably." She replies.

"Fun stuff's in the basement."

"Fun stuff meaning where you do the killing?"

"Hmm."

"Do you have a pulley system to drag the bodies up here when you're done with them? I'm sure they're heavy. Dead weight amirite?"

Jennie stops in front of two giant oak doors. "I can see why you and Lisa are friends now." She comments. Opens the doors to a massive library. "You're both so fucking talkative."

Jisoo whistles in appreciation when she catches up and sees the library. "Nice." She adds.

"It's my grandpa's."

"Yours now I assume."

"Hmm."

Jennie goes to sit in one of the massive sofas scattered in the middle of all the shelves. Gestures for Jisoo to find a spot.

Jisoo gratefully acquiesces. Chooses an armchair next to a table with an old-timey globe. "This where you spend most of your time?" She asks Jennie.

"Yes." Jennie gestures around the place. "Books aren't just about taxidermy. Plenty other topics. I added my own section when I could. Behind you."

Jisoo looks to where Jennie mentioned. Notes the various genres. Once again nods in acknowledgement. "Well read..well educated." She says about Jennie. "Fits a girl of your calibre."

Jennie raises an eyebrow. "Are you doing what I think you're doing?" She asks with a laugh.

Jisoo smirks at her. Spins the globe gently with one finger. "Am I?"

"Wow. Forward."

"Worth a shot don't you think? Night's still young." Jisoo says after playfully looking at her wristwatch.

"Thought you're all up Rosie's orbit the way you usually are." Jennie comments. Reaches to a cabinet next to her seat. Opens it to reveal a fridge and pulls out another bottle of Whiskey and two perfectly chilled tumblers.

Jisoo stands up and walks closer to her. Jennie nods at the quick reception of the signal.

"There's history there yes." Jisoo says after accepting the full glass that Jennie offered her. Sits at the arm of the sofa Jennie is on. "That's all. I just need to make things right because I've done her a great disservice. But not in that way."

"Hmm." Jennie sips her whiskey.

They drink in silence.

Jennie taps the spot on the sofa that's next to her. "I know what you're packing." She mentions.

Jisoo laughs. Drinks her whiskey straight up and sets the empty glass on top of a shelf next to her. "Been looking huh?" She jokes.

"You dropped to the floor with a scream when Rosie nailed you between the knees." Jennie replies. 

"Yes. Because that hurt."

"Lisa joked about your sperm count."

"Then I guess that settles it right? You've confirmed it. What else can I say?"

Jennie finishes off her Whiskey. Walks in front of Jisoo and puts both her hands on her legs. Leans closer to whisper in her ear. "Best to show." 

"Hmm." Jisoo replies. Wraps her arms around Jennie and pulls her even closer. Starts to move her lips along Jennie's neck. "I hope you're not the type who'd think I don't know how to use it."

Jennie moans when Jisoo comes across a sensitive spot behind her ears. "Fuck..I..just..prove it."

"With pleasure."


	24. TOO CLEAN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are reasons to things. All are yet to be revealed.

"Too clean." Is the first thing that Irene says when the group walked into the apartment the body is located in. 

Seulgi nods. Looks around. "Hmm."

Seungwan shakes her head. "I don't get it. Have they somehow caught on?" She asks. "Figured out that we have their prints and decided to be more careful?"

"Hey." Sooyoung calls out from where she's standing. Next to the body that was facedown on the bed with a bullet wound in the back of it's head. "I don't think it's the same people from last time." She says. "I seriously don't."

Seulgi walks up to her. Taking Irene who was clinging tightly to her sleeve.

"Why?" Seulgi asks Sooyoung.

"It's too clean." Was the answer.

"Seungwan could be right. They could just be more careful now."

"No..no." Seungwan says. "Sooyoung has a point." Clears her throat and points to the bullet wound on the body. "The others..they were all clearly impulse kills the way they looked. This one looks planned."

"Deliberate." Irene says with a nod. Whispered to Seulgi's shoulder where her face is resting. "Whoever killed this one..most likely walked in here with that purpose."

Seulgi nods. Catching on. "Door's broken into. Soooo..most likely..suspect came in while this one is asleep..shot him..and then left."

"Yesssss." Sooyoung says with a finger gun in Seulgi's direction. 

Seungwan gloves up. "What I don't get..is they could have made it look like a suicide. Why didn't they? Opportunity's right there." She comments. 

"They want to send a message that this guy is murdered." Irene says. 

"That..actually makes sense." Seulgi whispers. 

\------------------------------------------------------------

"Lee Sung-soo. 28." Seulgi dictates. Walking into the morgue with a folder detailing who the man on the table was. "Senator's son. Known party boy, a regular at one of the upscale bars downtown. Booked once three months ago for possession of illegal substances but was released on bail. Currently under observation."

Everyone nods. 

Sooyoung raises her hand. "Do we have an idea on who did this?" She asks.

Seulgi sits on an office chair next to Irene. "Tzuyu tells me it could be drug related. Said something about how he's 'under observation' because his father's been putting pressure on the force to use that as a double for having police protection on him."

There was a clink off to where Seungwan was working on the body. They all turn to look.

"Bullet was stuck in his skull just above the left eyebrow." Seungwan tells them. "Point 45." Gestures to the bullet she dropped onto a tin plate.

"Hmm." Seulgi says.

"The murders from before." Irene says. "No guns. And what Seungwan said earlier made me think."

"About what?" Sooyoung asks.

"They do look a lot like impulse kills. Like..whoever did it was just having a normal day and then suddenly ran into the victim and decided to kill them."

"Victims all had rap sheets too. Extensive rap sheets. Mostly about animals..or sexual violations." Seulgi adds with a nod.

"I've told Sooyoung that about the ones from the day of the dead." Seungwan says. Proceeds to return the body's face back to where it usually is and then working on the Y incision to begin the autopsy proper. "All those victims except for the Park guy could be justified as self defense..however gruesome they were."

"Hmm." Sooyoung confirms. "Then that would just lead us to the question of, whoever those four people are, why..do they get tangled up in that sort of thing only if they're together?"

"I think.." Irene whispers. "That they don't seek to kill when they're together. I think..they have their own things."

"What?" Seulgi laughs. "You're telling me they have their own victims by themselves..and then somehow meet up every month and band together for one group impulse kill? And then what? The victim just happened to fit one of their usual M.O's?"

Sooyoung nods rapidly. "Shit. That's a theory." She says.

Seungwan continues to pull apart the dead body's skin to expose the rib cage. Shrugs. "Think about it Seulgi." She says. "The last guy died from a slit throat but he also has water in his lungs and signs of torture. There's four sets of fingerprints that match the fingerprints we found on the gas station murders."

"I asked around and lo and behold, we find out the victim was known throughout town as the type who collects stray cats and drowns them by the sackload at the nearby river." Sooyoung adds. "Who else had the rap sheet of being an animal abuser? Truck guy from the gas station."

"The man from the toilets at the club." Irene continues. "The bartender told me he was known to harass females everytime he gets drunk..and he was found in the female toilets. Who else was a sex offender? The gas station attendant."

Seulgi nods to acknowledge everyone. "Okay." She says. "So we're looking for anyone who has a bone to pick with sex offenders and animal abusers. Which could be literally everyone who is a decent human being."

"I mean..that's a pattern." Sooyoung tells Seulgi. "That's all we're saying. That could be a lead."

"Okay. I get that." Seulgi agrees. "But how do we justify the guy from apartment 405 and the guy in the park?" She asks.

Everyone shrugs at that question. 

Seulgi continues. "We also have to consider what Irene said. Four different people who could be well versed in killing would not leave their bodies lying in the open like that. It's precisely the reason why we haven't found their individual kills yet if there's even any."

"This is hurting my fucking brain." Sooyoung comments. 

Seungwan picks up a bone saw. Begins to destroy the rib cage to get to the goodies.

"This is hurting my brain." Irene says about the increasingly loud buzzing noise from the saw.

Seulgi stands up. "We'll leave you to that, Seungwan. Tell us what you discover yeah?"

Seungwan just nods. Throws up a peace sign before everyone leaves.

\------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey." Seulgi calls out to Irene just as they step off the elevator from the basement. 

"What?" Irene replies.

"It's Thursday."

"So?"

"Uhhm.."

"I told you, Seulgi..I'm not doing that with you again. We can't. Not anymore."

Seulgi sighs. "I was just wondering if you might want to go and grab some dinner with me." She asks.

"What like a date?"

"I mean.."

"No Seulgi."

"It doesn't have to be a date. Just a meal between coworkers."

"We can't."

"Please yeah? I'm..I'm actually saying please to you goddammit. Just have dinner with me."

Irene just shakes her head. "I'm sorry, Seulgi. I've got plans already."

Seulgi just stares at Irene for a full minute. Nods her head. "Okay." She replies. "Have a good evening then."

Irene leaves.

\------------------------------------------------------------

"Oh." Irene says as a greeting instead of the hello that she was supposed to say.

"What? You took your time." Junmyeon tells her.

She just goes and sits across from him at the table he got in the restaurant they were in.

"Took my time doesn't mean you have to go and finish off two bottles of champagne on your own..and start with your third as soon as I sit down." Irene tells him.

Junmyeon raises an eyebrow at her. "Don't get cheeky with me." He warns. Pours and drinks another glass of champagne.

"Hmm."

"I ordered for you."

"Thanks."

"Waiter recommended the chicken."

"I'm allergic to chicken??"

"Not my fucking problem. Then don't eat."

"What the fuck?"

Junmyeon slams his hand down the table. Irene jumps in her seat at the sound.

"I already told you not to get smart. Should be grateful I even decided for you." He angrily says. 

The food arrives and Junmyeon plasters a charming smile in his face for the waitress. "Thanks." He tells her.

The waitress blushes. Irene gags a little in her mouth.

Junmyeon digs into the food as soon as the waitress leaves.

\------------------------------------------------------------

"It frustrates me." Seulgi says. Drinks from her beer bottle.

Sooyoung just laughs. "I told you." She declares.

"Not exactly what Seulgi needs right now, Joy." Seungwan comments. 

The three of them are at their usual bar. Brought on by an invitation from Seulgi. 

"I get it, Sooyoung. I was the stupid one who caught feelings." Seulgi replies. Head down.

"Hey mahn. It's not a bad thing." Seungwan placates with a tap to Seulgi's hand. "Not your fault, buddy."

"What are you, five?" Sooyoung snarks.

"Your bitch is unwelcome here!" Seulgi complains. "This is a safe space where I can unload to my friends about how the D.A frustrates the hell out of me. WHY can't she just leave that piece of shit she's with?!"

"Leave that piece of shit so she can move on to your piece of shit?" 

Seungwan sighs. "Knock it off, Sooyoung."

Seulgi just opens another bottle of beer. "I just want to know what's with him that she can't go. I know she wants to go. She just can't. Why can't she?"

\------------------------------------------------------------

Irene wraps her arms around herself to fight off the cold breeze. Stares at Junmyeon who is walking in circles around his car and angrily talking on the phone.

"Who the fuck said you could do that!?" He yells at whoever he's talking to. "I FUCKING told you to just keep an eye on him! How the fuck are we going to cover this up then? Huh? What? How?!"

Irene blinks at how he suddenly pivots and goes straight to her after he hangs up the call he was on. 

Junmyeon grabs her by both shoulders and shakes her. "The dead bodies you found. Lee Sung-Soo. And the others before him. Tell me everything. EVERY. SINGLE. DETAIL." He demands.

Irene shakes her head. "Jun, I can't. That's confidential." She replies.

He slaps her. A hard backhand to the right of her face. Grabs her shoulders and gets her to look at him. "Try again." He says.

"I can't fucking tell you!" Irene repeats. Face stinging from the slap.

He slaps her again. Turning purple in anger. "Don't forget who fucking put you where you are, Irene. I practically own you. You can't just say no to me. You'll tell me what you know about those cases whether you like it or not." 


	25. DEVELOPMENTS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not going to be that easy.

"We passed it on to the narcotics division." 

Lisa looks up at the person who talked. Startles a little bit at the height so she stands up from her seat to level before nodding to them. 

"Uhh..what?" She says.

The person offers a hand for Lisa to shake. Introduces herself. "Detective Park Sooyoung."

"Oh. Okay?" Lisa says after letting go of the handshake. "What?"

"The case you're here for. The one that was discussed at the press conference yesterday. We passed that on to the narcotics team." Detective Sooyoung explains.

"Ahhhh.." Lisa says.

"I know you as that reporter Kim Jisoo's photographer companion. I suppose she sent you here to get some information in her stead?" 

Lisa awkwardly touches her nape. "Yes?" She replies.

Detective Sooyoung nods. "Then that was your scoop. It's out of our hands already. If you want to know more about it then you can talk to officer Tzuyu. She's by the bullpen, I can take you there."

Lisa shakes her head. Pulls a breathe in. "Uh..thanks for the offer. I'll definitely take you up on that..but..can I also ask about the other murders?" 

The detective stares at her. Sighs. "There's nothing to tell you that my partner hasn't already told yours. We have no leads. Nothing. Prints we had are not matching anyone and there's a lack of other evidence we can check."

There was a person who bursts out of the elevators slightly to their right. Clad in a lab coat and wearing a face mask that has a streak of blood on the chin part. Walks straight up to Detective Sooyoung with an almost manic grin on her face.

Lisa and the detective both blink at the newcomer. 

"Joy!" They greet. "I've gotten a print from the Lee guy's coat. Fits one of the four we already have from the cold cases! Fits perfectly! And guess what?"

"What?" Detective Sooyoung asks.

"There's a strand of long blonde hair that was stuck to one of the buttons on his coat. I ran it through some of the strands that we have from the park guy's body and what did I find? Ask about what I found!"

The detective sighs at all the excitement. "What did you find?"

"All of them are from one Park Chaeyoung. How do I know? Because she's blonde and literally the only possible person who can get close enough to the park guy for her hair to end up on him."

 _SHIT._ Lisa thinks. 

"HOLY SHIT!" Detective Sooyoung yells. Startles at Lisa who also jumped at her scream. "Oh shit. Sorry. Why are you still here?" She asks Lisa.

Lisa hurriedly picks up her camera bag that she left on the benches she sat on earlier. Bows to the two people she was with. "Sorry. Uhh..I'm going." She says. Turning away and (almost) power walking to the doors. 

She hears Detective Sooyoung's voice before she fully steps out of the police station. 

_"Hold the fuck up, let me call Slug!"_

\------------------------------------------------------------

"Ahh fuck!" Jennie moans. "More..I need more."

Jisoo just huffs from on top of her. "Sure?" She jokes.

"Yes. Keep going."

"Gladly."

They keep at it. The sound of their skin slapping and sporadic moans filling the room inside Jennie's mansion.

"God you're so hot like this." Jisoo whispers. Trails kisses to whatever piece of Jennie's skin that she can reach.

"Fuck you fuck me so good!"

"I..try."

The sound of a standard iPhone ringtone pierces the usual sex noises they were producing.

Jennie groans. "No."

Jisoo just laughs. "I don't know who's phone that is."

"Goddammit!" 

Jennie taps Jisoo's back from where she's previously been clawing it. A signal to stop which Jisoo complies with. 

They both chuckle at the sound when Jisoo pulls out.

Jennie reaches over her nightstand to check who's phone it was that was ringing. Raises an eyebrow seeing how Jisoo pulls off the condom and ties it to a neat knot to toss into a bin next to the bed. 

"I'll finish myself off." Jisoo jokes.

"Hold that thought. Hang on." Jennie replies. Picks up her phone and looks at the caller ID.

"Lisa." She tells Jisoo who just raises an eyebrow in intrigue. 

"I told her to drop by the station today." Jisoo supplies. Moves to lie down next to Jennie and puts both hands under her head. "Probably calling just to tell you how it went." Jisoo's phone starts ringing with the same caller as well. "See? Must have mixed up our contacts. She'd normally call me first."

Jisoo moves to pick up the call. Jennie also moves. Straddles Jisoo who raises an eyebrow at the action. 

Jennie just shrugs at her. "Tried it raw before?" She asks Jisoo.

"The sperm count is a very real thing maam." Jisoo replies. Deadpan. Staring at her phone and waiting for Lisa to call again.

"Mhmm. Pills are also a thing." Jennie replies. Guides Jisoo inside her with a moan from both of them.

Jisoo grabs her hips with one hand and squeezes. "Fuck. Okay..then by all means..have at it." She says.

Her phone vibrates in her other hand as soon as Jennie starts to move. Up and down. She was briefly mesmerized at the view before she remembers her other friend. Only did when Jennie gestured to her still ringing phone. A clear dare to try and keep the call going.

Jisoo picks up. "Lisa what do you want?" She angrily greets. Eager to get the conversation over with.

 _"They have Rosie's hair."_ Lisa tells Jisoo.

"I'm sorry what?"

 _"Rosie!"_ Lisa yells. Loud enough for Jennie to also hear.

Jennie stops moving. Points to Jisoo's phone. 

Jisoo puts the call on speaker. "Lisa. What? Explain?"

 _"They found hair strands on the latest dead body. Supposed to be transferring the case to the narcotics division already but with this development, I think they're going to hold off on doing that."_ Lisa hurriedly explains. Out of breath.

Jennie and Jisoo look at each other. Lisa continues talking.

_"I know you're thinking about how the fuck they would know it's Rosie but the thing is she's blonde and they already have a sample of her hair from her first kill and at this rate, it's only going to be a matter of time before they figure out that her prints are also on this latest guy. The lab person ID-ed her with just the hair, Jisoo. They said her name."_

"SHIT." Jisoo says.

Jennie nods rapidly. Pushes off from Jisoo and starts to pick up her clothes to get dressed.

"Lisa. Where are you?" Jisoo asks.

Lisa huffs. _"I'm running to Rosie's place."_

"How do you know where she lives?!"

_"I took her home this morning."_

"You're a right fucking Lightning Mcqueen aren't you?!"

_"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT, JISOO! I'M GOING TO ROMANCE HER BEFORE GOING THERE YOU FUCKER!"_

"Can you two not fight over Rosie right now?!" Jennie irritably yells. 

_"You're still with Jennie?!"_ Lisa asks over the phone.

"Let's not fucking talk about that right now..GODDAMMIT!" Jisoo replies. Slaps the pillow next to her and gets off the bed. Puts the phone between her ears and starts to put on her clothes.

Jennie couldn't help but chuckle at the visible wince she sees Jisoo pull off while she was trying to put on her pants. Jisoo rewards her chuckle with a middle finger and a smirk.

 _"RIGHT!"_ Lisa yells. Startling both Jisoo and Jennie. _"I'm at the elevator already."_

"Okay. I need you to not do anything stupid, Lisa." Jisoo tells her. "Stay by the stairwell. Keep a lookout. Jennie and I will try and get there fast."

 _"Okay. I can do that. See you guys in a bit then."_ Lisa hangs up.

Jisoo wipes her face with a hand.

"Get your fucking hard on going!" Jennie screams at Jisoo. Fully dressed and angrily tossing her shirt at her.

"Christ, lady. Okay?" Jisoo complains. Picks up the fallen shirt and puts it on. Shakes herself and follows Jennie out the bedroom door.

They get to the garage. "Drive." Jennie orders Jisoo. Tosses the keys to a Maserati at her.

"Daaaaaaaamn." Jisoo comments at all the cars.

"How are you so fucking calm?!" 

Jisoo shrugs. "They won't jump to arrest just yet. They'd need a warrant for that. With all the red tape..we have time."

"Rosie won't appreciate your complacency." Jennie comments. Getting into the car of choice and pulling out her phone to make a few calls.

Jisoo just follows her. Puts on a seatbelt once she's settled. "Rosie would also not be able to help me with this goddamn hard-on that's making it hard for me to think straight." She says. Deadpan. Starting the car and gesturing for Jennie to open the garage door.

"Just fucking drive, Soo. I'll blow you along the way if you promise you can manage not to wrap the car around a tree."

Jisoo shrugs. "Fine."


End file.
